Devastation Flood 2014 in Bangladesh

[Prabal Barua]

The flood situation in the northern and north-eastern regions of Bangladesh  is expected to deteriorate following heavy rain and onrush of water from the upstream. The flood situation around Dhaka city will also deteriorate in the next 72 hours due to further rising of waters of the Padma and Lakhya rivers.

Over 100,000 people in five upazilas—Islampur, Dewanganj, Melandah, Madarganj and Sharishabari in Jamalpur district have been marooned, as the flood situation in the district has  worsened.  thousands of flood-affected people were leading a miserable life due to shortage of food and drinking water. The government's relief efforts are inadequate, locals say. Low-lying areas in these localities, including a number of schools, have gone under water. To add to the sufferings, standing crops on 9,787 hectares have been damaged.

 Flood situation in Sirajganj district remains unchanged, but sufferings of the flood-affected people have increased. About 3 lakh people of 250 villages in 40 unions of nine upazilas in the district have been marooned. About half a lakh of weaving factories, including handloom and powerloom, in Belkuchi, Shahzadpur, Sirajganj Sadar and Kazipur upazilas have been shut down due to floods. As a result, several lakhs of weavers and workers have become jobless. The flood-hit people, who took shelter on flood control embankments and high lands, have been passing their days and nights in a miserable condition due to lack of food and drinking water. They are yet to get any government relief due to insufficient allocation.

The flood situation in Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Bogra, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Tangail and Netrokona also in danger position for remote peoples. Lakhs of people are leading a miserable life under the open sky without food and drinking water.