The flood situation in the districts of Rangpur region has worsened significantly due to incessant downpours over the past few days.
Vast tracts of croplands, along with houses and educational institutions remain submerged affecting at least 2.5 lakh people in the districts. Many establishments have fallen in dire conditions facing erosion threats.
The upazila and district administrations have increased their relief support for the affected people. Meanwhile, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) came forward to support the flood victims.
Many of the flood-hit people, however, said the government support is not adequate as they are suffering from want of food and drinking water. Moreover, the precautionary measures to protect against erosion are not sustainable.
A local, Mokbul Hossain of Char Gabura village under Chawla union in Rangpur s Pirgacha USpazila said, the Teesta River eroded many of the villagers’ houses and croplands over the past years. He had to relocate his house. The entire village went underwater once again.
The lone Char Dhakhin Government Primary School in the village has been facing the threat of being eroded once again in the river. Earlier in 2014 the school was eroded in the river. Later it was shifted to new places and a fresh establishment was built. The new school building is just 10 meters away from the erosion. Locals, however, are trying to save the school by dumping sand-filled geo bags in the river.
He also said, only proper precautionary measures could have saved the school.
Akram Hossain, head teacher of the school said, the school building might be eroded at any time in the river.
Executive Engineer BWDB, Rangpur, Rabiul Islam said, the department has taken effective measures to protect the school from erosion.
“Floodwater marooned our house, so the five members of the family left home and took shelter on the embankment last Tuesday with our belongings, two cattle, three goats and hens. We are living in a makeshift house wrapped in polythene. The torrential rains aggravate our living conditions," said Amena Begum of Rajarvita village on Brahmaputra's shoal in Kurigram's Chilmari upazila.
“We will return home as soon as the floodwater starts to recede. We lack food and water for drinking here. The sufferings of the domestic cattle have been intensified as the meadows and grasslands were submerged in the villages. There is no work in the area for daily income. We have yet to receive any support or relief, “she added.
Another victim, Shefali Bewa, made a similar observation along with a hundred families who had to take shelter on the BWDB embankment in Chilmari Upazila of Kurigram.
"The entire village got marooned and our house went under knee-deep water. There is no work and we get no assistance from government and non-government organisations, “ said Milon Miah, a day labourer from Putimari Village of Raniganj Union.
Golam Ashek, chairman of Ramna Union Parishad Chilmari Upazila said there are some 4,000 flood-affected families in his union, of them only 600 have been given relief assistance of 10kg of rice from the government.
Manjurul Islam, chairman of Raniganj Union Parishad, said only 300 of the 5,500 flood-hit families in his union got government relief.
Contacted, Minhazul Islam, UNO of Chilmari, said they are trying to reach out to all the flood victims with the government's assistance and support.
"Insan Ali, a daily worker of Tengnarvihta Village at Vhogdanga Union under Kurigram Sadar said, the villagers became water stagnant for almost seven days.
“I took a loan of Tk 3,000 from a local to manage my family as I could not go outside for work,” he added.
Shahera Begum, of Char Moddho Kodomtola Village under Kurigram’s Sadar said tube wells and toilets in the village houses were submerged. Her house went under two feet long deep water. They have been suffering from drinking water in the village for the last ten days.
A non-government organisation ( NGO) official, Shahidul Haque Saju said, the flood-hit people usually face scarcity of pure drinking water in comparison to food. Many of them are compelled to use flood and river water due to scarcity causing severe waterborne diseases including diarrhoea and severe stomach ache.
Civil Surgeon Kurigram, Dr Manjoor – A- Morshed informed that some eighty medical teams were formed who are working in remote flood-hit areas of the district. Flood victims have been distributed with water purification tablets.
According to the disaster management wing of Kurigram district, some 34,000 families in nine upazilas including a municipality of the district have been affected by the flood.
Kurigram District Deputy Commissioner, Saidul Arif said, the relief activities have been intensified in the district.
“We have distributed 587 tonnes of rice, Tk 32, 85,000 cash, and 23,120 packets of dry food among flood victims in the district till Friday,” the DC added.
Deputy Commissioner Gaibandha district, Kazi Nahid Rasul said some 37,428 households and a total of 1,51,828 people have become flood victims in four upazilas of the district. The upazila administrations distributed 385 tonnes of rice, cash Tk 15 lakhs and 3050 dry food packets among the distressed families. Some 52 medical teams are working to serve the ailing people in the flood.
Around13,881 hectares of standing croplands of Aus paddy, jute, ropa chilly, maize, Aman seedlings and different vegetables have been marooned in five districts of Rangpur region, said an Agriculture officer, DAE Rangpur, Rafiqul Islam.
The most affected districts are – Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and Rangpur. The damage and loss of the crops however are yet to be calculated, he noted.
The international donor agency – the World Food Programme (WFP) stood beside the flood victims in five districts of the northern region. They supported some 88, 251 households who were flood-hit in Kurigram- Gaibandha-Jamalpur, Sirajganj and Bogura districts. Of the affected some 19, 507 are in Kurigram and 17,135 households in Gaibandha districts. Each of the households was given Tk 50,00 through their bKash account, confirmed a Dhaka-based WFP official, Tareq Salahuddin.
Executive Engineer, WDB, Kurigram, Raqibul Hasan said, flooding in the district is improving. The swell of major rivers has been going down slowly. If it does not rain, the flood situation will improve significantly.
Sources of Rangpur divisional commissioner’s office disclosed that above 2 lakh people had been affected by the flood in Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, and Nilphamari districts.
Rangpur Divisional Commissioner, Zakir Hossain said, thousands of people have been affected by the flood in the districts of the division. The upazila and district administrations have been directed to continue to support the relief and assistance among the flood victims.
