flood
Flood: Netrokona fish farm owners suffer losses of Tk 11.57 cr
Fish and fish spawns from 26,417 waterbodies and farms worth Tk 11.57 crore have been washed away by the recent flood in Netrokona.
Most of the fish farmers had taken loans from banks, which have become a burden now. The flood ruined their dreams as they have lost everything they had invested in fish farming.
Md Rokonuzzaman Khan Khokon, owner of Nipa Agro Fisheries, said that he had cultivated various species of fish in 100 decimals of land. “All of the fish were ready for sale. I had hoped that I would get Tk 30 lakh by selling these fish. But sudden flooding has destroyed my hope completely.”
“I had taken Tk 12 lakh as loan from a bank. I have no idea how I’ll repay my debt,” Khokon said.
Md Arifur Rahman and Mukhlesur Rahman, two other fish farm owners, said that they cultivated fish worth Tk two crore in 34 acres of land.
They too had taken a loan of Tk 1.9 crore from a bank. But all of their fish have been washed away by flood.
READ: Flood waters receding again in Sylhet but food, water crises persist
“I had taken Tk 11 lakh as loan from Bangladesh Krishi Bank. I had also taken money from some of my acquaintances. I had invested Tk 30 lakh in fish farming. But all of my dreams were ruined. I’ll have to spend the rest of my life in repaying my debts,” said Md Ilyas Talukder, another fish farmer from Netrokona’s Baushi union.
According to Mohammad Shahjahan Kabir, Fisheries Officer of Netrokona district, a total of 15,826 fish farmers and fish farm owners have been affected due to severe flooding.
“Around 3,500 hectares of area used as fish farms have been affected by the flood. Farmers incurred losses of Tk 11.57 crore,” said Shahjahan.
Joint UN mission on a visit to flood-affected Sylhet region
A joint mission of the United Nations (UN) headed by UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis is currently visiting the flood-affected Sylhet and Sunamganj districts.
The mission visited different areas in Birgaon union under Sunamganj’s Shantiganj upazila on Saturday. They will be visiting Sylhet’s Gowainghat upazila on Sunday.
The mission attended a press conference at Sylhet city’s Grand Sylhet hotel on Saturday evening, where Lewis said that around 72 lakh people from nine districts of the country’s northeastern region have been affected by severe flooding this year.
“Sylhet, Sunamganj, Maulvibazar, Habiganj and Netrokona districts are the worst-affected areas. Around five lakh people are currently living in shelter homes, among whom a majority have lost their homes to the flooding. Women and girls in particular are facing huge risks at these shelters,” said Lewis.
Read: UN joint team to help Bangladesh to control Aedes mosquitoes
Fearing that more flooding can happen in the coming days, the joint mission said that a Needs Assessment Group headed by the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) and CARE has already started to work to mitigate the losses caused by the ongoing flooding.
The group will assess the losses caused by flooding and will identify immediate and short-term needs, said the mission.
UNFPA Representative Kristine Blokus, UNICEF Representative Sheldon Yett, Development Director of British High Commission Matt Cannell, European Commission Representative Isabella D’Haudt, and Country Manager of START Fund Sajid Rayhan, among others, spoke at the press conference.
Flood waters receding again in Sylhet but food, water crises persist
As the sun came out Saturday in Sylhet after four more days of heavy rain, the water level in all rivers and flood-hit areas started receding but that hardly eased the non-stop struggle life has been for its residents, many of them in areas cut off by waterlogging, since mid-June with food and fresh water crises still persisting.
Until Friday morning total fatalities from the devastating flood rose to 95 with three more deaths from drowning and lightning strikes in the country, said the Directorate General of Health Services DGHS).
According to the Water Development Board (WDB) in Sylhet, from Friday 6 am to Saturday 9 am water level decreased 11 cm at Sylhet point and 10 cm at Kanaighat point of the Surma river. Meanwhile the Kushiara river’s water level lowered 16 cm at Amalsid point, 5 cm at Sheola point, and 2 cm at Fenchuganj point. Lobha, Sari, and Dhalai rivers were also showing a receding trend.
Also read: Floods wash away crops and hopes in Kurigram
Asif Ahmed, executive engineer of Sylhet WDB, said, “The water is receding slowly but the flood situation is not expected to deteriorate in the next few days.”
Due to heavy rains from June 15, and upstream water running down from India, Sylhet and other north-eastern districts of the country faced the most devastating flood in living memory. For almost 17 days 80 per cent of the district remained under water and normal life there came to a complete standstill.
As tube wells of the flood-hit region also submerged, an extreme crisis of drinkable water and food became imminent in Sylhet.
“Total 99 unions of 13 upazilas in the district were flooded. Of the 35,000 government tube wells in the district 27,000 were submerged along with 2,000 more private ones,” told Alamgir Hossain, executive engineer of district Department of Public Health Engineering.
He said, “Eight mobile water treatment plants with capacity to supply 5,000 liters of water each have been received from the government. Of them six has been distributed to flood hit Sylhet city, COmpaniganj, Gowainghat, Kanaighat, Bishwanath, Fenchuganj and another two have been kept in reserve”.
“We are campaigning to teach the steps to purify tube well water after flood water recedes,” he added.
Ismail Ali, from Tererton area in the city said, “For eight days my house was under water and we just started cleaning the house today.”
He mentioned another problem that came up with receding water - an all-encompassing, unbearable stench from rotten wastes.
Nur Azizur Rahman, chief engineer of Sylhet City Corporation said “The city corporation is conducting a cleaning drive of the garbage from the canal and other water bodies. The whole city will be cleaned with bleaching powder.”
Also read: More rain forecast, but flood situation likely to improve in 6 districts Saturday
Meanwhile, Mukul Ahmed, a trader from Bangabir road said, “Though water went down from my shop the roads remained submerged for the 17 th day. My business has completely gone down and I don't know how many days the situation will remain like this.”
BNP for permanent solution to recurring floods in Sylhet region
BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Saturday emphasized on taking effective steps including the construction of sustainable dams as a permanent solution to recurring floods in the country’s Sylhet region.
“Effective initiatives need to be taken to find a permanent solution so that the people of this (Sylhet) region do not face such catastrophic floods in the future,” he said.
The BNP leader said dredging rivers and digging canals are necessary to keep the normal flow of water from the mouths of different rivers to the downstream areas. “Besides, sustainable dams must be built at some points so that a vast area in downstream is not submerged during the rainy season.”
Also read: BNP blames govt for fresh spike in Covid cases
He hoped that BNP, if it returns to power, will take effective initiatives to end the problem of repeated flood in the region.
Gayeshwar, a BNP standing committee member, said these while talking to reporters after distributing relief materials among the flood victims at Lalpur Bazar in the Sadar Upazila arranged by Bangladesh Nari O Shishu Odhikar Forum.
He said BNP leaders and activists have been distributing relief materials as per the directives of their acting chairman Tarique Rahman from the beginning of the flood.
“Around 40 percent people of the country still remain marooned, but the ruling Awami League is not standing by them. In fact, it’s not the government of the people. This is a government for money launderers and women traffickers. So, BNP is now there beside the flood victims as a party of people,” the BNP leader said.
Also read: AL won’t be allowed to retain power by’rigging’ votes again: Mintoo
Slamming the government for what he said indulging in repressive acts, Gayeshwar said, BNP leaders and activists have become helpless as they have long been subjected to killings, enforced disappearances, attacks and ‘false’ cases.
He called upon people from all walks of life to get united and wage a strong movement to get rid of ‘misrule’ of the current regime and establish a pro-people government through a credible election under a non-party administration.
More rain forecast, but flood situation likely to improve in 6 districts Saturday
More rains are likely to drench Bangladesh in the next 24 hours, the weather department said Friday.
Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board said the flood situation in Kurigram, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria districts may improve in the next 24 hours.
Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers may rise in the next 24 hours. The River Ganges-Padma keeps rising and this may continue in the next 48 hours.
Water levels of all major rivers in the northeast of the country are falling and this may continue in the next 24 hours, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said.
Meanwhile, the weather department recorded 98mm rainfall – the highest – in Rangpur's Tetulia in the last 24 hours till 6pm Friday.
Read: Flood: Another death pushes up toll to 88
The mercury reached 36.3 degrees Celsius – the highest – in Rajshahi, while the minimum temperature was 24 degrees in Sitakunda.
Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged and night temperature may rise slightly, the BMD said.
Sylhet Flood: 37,000 people still living in shelters
More than 37,000 people still remained in shelter centres in flood-hit Sylhet after devastating floods swept through several parts of Bangladesh leaving 95 people dead.According to the Sylhet district administration, there are now 439 shelters in Sylhet district where 37,176 people are still staying in these shelters.Almost 30 lakh people have been rendered homeless and as many as 40,091 houses destroyed in the recent floods in Sylhet, sources said on Thursday.
Read: Flood: 3 more deaths pushes up toll to 95All the 13 upazilas of the district, including five municipalities, have been affected.The district administration has distributed relief materials among the flood victims.Sources said Tk 1.92 crore in cash, 1,612 metric tonnes of rice and 19,918 packets of dry food have been distributed among the flood-affected people in the district.According to the Water Development Board, the water level of Surma River has gone down by 10 cm at Kanaighat Point and 4 cm at Sylhet Point at 12pm today. However, the water level of the Kushiyara River is stable.
Read: Govt apathy compounds flood victims’ miseries: BNPMeanwhile, it drizzled in Sylhet on Friday as well. However, there is no possibility of water rise in these rivers due to this light rain, said AKM Niloy Pasha, deputy assistant engineer of Sylhet Water Development Board.Besides, rains are likely over this region for three more days, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Flood: 3 more deaths pushes up toll to 95
Flood claimed three more lives in Mymensingh, Netrokona and Sunamganj in 24 hours till Friday morning, raising the total fatalities to 95.
Of the deceased, two drowned while another died from lightning strike, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Among the total deceased, 68 people died by drowning in floodwater, 15 from lightning strikes, two from snake bites, one from diarrhoea, and nine due to other reasons.
The total deaths were recorded from May 17 to June 30.
READ: Flood death toll reaches 92 : DGHS
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said all major rivers in the north-eastern region of the country are in a falling trend, which may continue falling in the next 24 hours.
However, the Brahmaputra River is in a steady state, while the Jamuna River and Padma River are on the rising trend. These rivers may rise in the next 24-48 hours.
The flood situation in Kurigram, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria districts may improve in the next 24 hours, it added in their latest report.
Water level falls in Surma & Kushiyara in Sylhet, Sunamganj
After a rise over the last two days, the water level of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers started falling again in Sylhet and Sunamganj on Friday.
According to the Water Development Board, the water level of Surma River has gone down by 10 cm at Kanaighat Point and 4 cm at Sylhet Point at 12pm today. However, the water level of the Kushiyara River is stable.
Meanwhile, it drizzled in Sylhet on Friday as well. However, there is no possibility of water rise in these rivers due to this light rain, said AKM Niloy Pasha, deputy assistant engineer of Sylhet Water Development Board.
Read: Major rivers swell again in northeastern region
Besides, rains are likely over this region for three more days, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Asif Ahmed, executive engineer of the Sylhet Water Development Board, said that there was no possibility of fresh flood due to this rain as the Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre reported.
In Sunamganj, the water level of Surma River has receded by 13 cm at Sadar municipality on Friday morning. This district recorded 21 mm of rain in the last 24 hours.
Road communication in four upazilas is still cut off as the floodwaters have not receded completely. In Sunamganj municipal town, Kazir Point, Bilpara, Nabinagar, West Natunpara areas, floodwaters fell slightly.
Read:Over 30 lakh homeless, 40,000 houses destroyed in flood-hit Sylhet
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said all major rivers in the north-eastern region of the country are in a falling trend, which may continue falling in the next 24 hours.
However, the Brahmaputra River is in a steady-state, while the Jamuna River and Padma River are on the rising trend. These rivers may rise in the next 24-48 hours.
The flood situation in Kurigram, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria districts may improve in the next 24 hours, it added in their latest report.
Flood death toll reaches 92 : DGHS
Flood claimed four more lives in the country in 24 hours till Thursday morning, raising the total fatalities to 92.
Al the latest victim died by drowning in floodwater in Sherpur, Sunamganj and Habiganj districts , according to the Directorate general of Health services (DGHS).
Among the deceased, 66 people have died by drowning in floodwater, 14 from lightning strike, two from snake biting, one from diarrhoea, and nine due to other reasons.
The total deaths were recorded from May 17 to June 30.
Meanwhile, Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said there is chance of heavy rainfall at places of the the northern and north-eastern Bangladesh along with Assam, Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan WestBengal (Jalpaiguri, Sikkim) of India in next 24 hours.
As a result, basically the major rivers of northern Bangladesh (Teesta, Upper Atrai, Dharla, Dudhkumar, Upper Karotoa, Tangon, Punarbhaba and Kulikh) may rise rapidly during this period.
Read: Flood claims five lives in 24 hours; death toll now 73
Flood situation in Kurigram and Dinajpur districts of northern region and Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj & B’baria districts of northeastern region may remain steady in next 24 hours, it said in their latest warning.
However, the flood situation is unlikely to worsen further after mid-July, reports Bangladesh Weather Observation Team – BWOT, an independent weather research group.
Major rivers swell again in northeastern region
Major rivers in Sylhet including the Surma and the Kushiyara have started swelling again due to incessant rains since Tuesday, creating panic among local people already devastated by worst flood in living memory.
The Surma and the Kushiyara rivers are flowing above their danger levels at some points Thursday morning following heavy downpour in two days since Tuesday.
Read:Over 30 lakh homeless, 40,000 houses destroyed in flood-hit Sylhet
The floodwaters in the areas adjacent to Surma, Dhalai, Piyain, Sari and Lova river banks almost receded till Tuesday afternoon.
But the Surma River is flowing 0.84cm above the danger level at Kanaighat point while the Kushiyara is flowing 1.12cm above the red level at Amalshid point Thursday morning, according to Sylhet Water Development Board.
The water level of the Kushiyara River is in rising trend at Sheola and Fenchuganj points.
AKM Niloy Pasha, sub-divisional engineer of Sylhet Water Development Board, said, “It is raining in Sylhet as well as in upstream. As a result, the water of these rivers is rising.”
In Sunamganj, rains started again from Monday after a week. Rivers are swelling again due to onrush of water from upstream triggered by rains in Meghalaya and Cherrapunji of India.
The water level of the Surma River has increased by 32 cm in the last three days.
According to Sunamganj Water Development Board, the Surma river was flowing 3 cm below the danger level near Sunamganj town at 12 noon on Thursday.
However, the river is flowing 83cm above the danger level in near Chhatak upazila as the district recorded 195mm rainfall in the last 24 hours.