Staff Reporter :
Flood water have started receding in the northern districts adjacent to the Brahmaputra and the Jamuna rivers in Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra and Nilphamari districts, but swelling in Tangail, Chandpur, Faridpur and Jamalpur and central part of the country.
Meanwhile, water-borne diseases have started to spread with the receding of flood water in the northern districts.
National Health Crisis Management Centre sources said that around 3327 people had been attacked with diarrhoea, respiratory problems and conjunctivitis in the flood-affected areas in the past week.
Flood situation is likely to continue improving in low lands adjacent to the Brahmaputra and the Jamura rivers in Jamalpur, Sirajganj and Bogra in next 72 hours.
The Turag, the Balu, the Lakhya rivers around Dhaka city are on the rising trend which may likely to continue in next 24 hours. Balu river at Demra and Turag at Mirpur are flowing 15cm and 9cm below their respective danger levels. Low lands adjacent to Demra of Balu river is likely to continue rise in next 24 hours.
The water in the Brahmaputra-the Jamuna and the Surma-the Kushiyara rivers are also receding and may continue to fall in next 72 hours. The Ganges remains steady. The Brahmaputra-the Jamuna, the Padma and the Surma-the Kushiyara may continue to fall in next 72 hours.
Standing crops of thousands of hectares of land have been washed away by flood water in northern districts in the country. The farmers are worried about the seed beds. They do not have sufficient capital to cope up with the current situation after the deluge.
In Gaibandha and Kurigram, crops on 12,595 hectares of lands have been damaged by the river water.
Agriculture Expansion Department of Gaibandha sources said, Aman paddy on 1,071 hectares have been destroyed.
In Kurigram, crops on 8944 hectares of lands have been damaged. The farmers say that without seeds they would not be able to cultivate the lands. Though they have time to saw seeds they do not have plants.
The Agriculture Expansion Department office sources said they have prepared plants for cultivation of paddy. They can distribute the plants bringing from Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur and Rangpur.
An agriculture officer from Kurigram said, “We will take the decision after the flood water retreat further. We will distribute the local varieties initially. The lands from where the water retreat, we will suggest the farmers to grow vegetables and other varieties of crops.”
In Saghata, the farmers lost all the jute plants they grew in the lands. Around 3000 hectares of jute have been damaged in Gaibandha and Kurigram districts. The farmers fear that they would not get fair price of their product this year.
According to the Department of Disaster Management, at least 6,34,409 families in the country’s 16 districts, mostly in the north and northeast, have been hit by flooding since mid-July.
Some 2,000 km of roads and 58.09 km of embankments in Jamalpur, seven km of roads in Nilphamari, 327 km of roads in Sirajganj and 300 metres of dykes in Gaibandha were damaged fully or partially.
