Mounting suffering of flood victims

Two rounds of severe flooding within a month in the Sylhet division of the country have left as many as four million people fighting for survival, with their houses, crop fields, fish ponds, and livestock washed away. The first round of flooding took place May 10, 2022. The waters began to recede on May 22. But the second round of flooding occurred on June 16, making the situation particularly dire for the people. The flooding has inundated 80 per cent of the territory in Sylhet district and 90 per cent of Sunamganj. And until now, little light is visible at the end of the tunnel. The flood situation is unchanged in Sunamganj, while situations in Habiganj and Moulvibazar have deteriorated. It is increasingly becoming clear that human effort often fails to provide the expected results in the face of nature's fury.

According to a report published in The Business Post yesterday, the situation could get worse before it gets better. Moderate to heavy rain is expected to continue until tomorrow when the flood could spread further inland. The report says that the children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable because communications are still down, power is out, and medical services are disrupted in most areas.

On a positive note, rail communication has been restored from Dhaka to Sylhet. To gauge the gravity of the situation and offer solace to the victims, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit the flood-stricken Sylhet region today.

Flood victims are reeling under an acute shortage of food and pure drinking water in the shelter centres adding to the miseries of the flood-stricken people. The report quotes flood victims saying they are subsisting only on puffed rice. The lack of pure drinking water is a cause for serious concern. Without prompt action, there can be an outbreak of dysentery and other contagious diseases. Adding another diabolical dimension to the already existing problems.

In an ominous development, there has been a rise in the Brahmaputra and Teesta water levels. Consequently, the flood situation in the country's northern districts will worsen. The low-lying areas and char areas of Kurigram Sadar, Ulipur, and Rowmari Upazilas went underwater, while 65 educational institutions have been shut down due to flood, according to the report.

The army, navy, and fire department personnel are working tirelessly to minimise the people's hardship. The air force can be called in to drop emergency food supplies, fresh water and water purifying tablets in areas where people are totally surrounded by stagnant water. Other essential items to send is snake repellent and snake anti-venom. The number of snake bites during widespread flooding increases exponentially. The development agencies should come forward to support the government in setting up fresh water zones and water purifying stations.

There is little hope for immediate improvement in the flood situation. The best course of action is to adopt a comprehensive approach to mitigate the woes of the flood-stricken people. The leading pharmaceutical companies can come forward to send immediate medical supplies along with oral salines, and water purifying tablets to the flood-affected areas.

In the last decade or so, Bangladesh has been experiencing extreme weather patterns related to climate change. Understanding this will help minimize future flood damage. Bangladesh, a nation of nearly 170 million people, is low-lying and faces threats from natural disasters such as floods and cyclones, made worse by climate change. According to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, about 17 per cent of people in Bangladesh would need to be relocated over the next decade or so if global warming persists at the present rate.

All state agencies in the affected areas should be geared toward helping with the flood situation. Equally importantly, the authorities should look at the bigger picture and start devising ways to reduce, as much as possible, the risk of such floods in the future.