United News of Bangladesh

As the monsoon arrives, the country's poorest district Kurigram is already grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis as flash floods and intense river erosion struck a double blow  forcing hundreds of families from their homes. Several major rivers crossing the district are causing the erosion, including the Brahmaputra, Dharla, Dudhkumar, Teesta and Kaljani, damaging homes, farmland, rural roads and trees daily. According to locals, more than 500 families have already lost everything, even as they moved to safer areas. The Water Development Board (WDB) said severe erosion is currently occurring at 36 points across a stretch of around 11.245 kilometres in the district. Fear of further erosion has forced riverbank residents to stay awake at night, guarding their homes. The Dudhkumar is flowing 23 centimetres above the danger level. Strong currents are continuously swallowing farmland and homesteads in areas of Sadar and Nageshwari upazilas. Severe erosion is also reported along the Dharla River in Sadar and Phulbari upazilas, while the Brahmaputra is swallowing large chunks of Sadar, Nageshwari, Ulipur, Chilmari, Roumari and Rajibpur upazilas. Erosion pressure is also rising along parts of the Teesta River in Rajarhat and Ulipur upazilas, while fresh fears have emerged along the Kaljani River in Bhurungamari and Sadar upazilas. Residents say the river is advancing day by day, leaving them with little time to respond. “The river is moving a few feet every day. I have already removed the tin roof of my house. My family stays awake at night in fear,” said Abdul Kader, a resident of Satkalua village in Sadar upazila. Another affected farmer, Nur Islam from Ulipur, said he has already lost his land. “Now our house will go too. There is no way left for us to survive,” he says, resigned to his fate. Emergency response and relief WDB Executive Engineer Rakibul Hasan said emergency protection work is ongoing over an area of about 5.35 square kilometres, with around 100,000 sand-filled geo-bags being used at a cost of Tk 3.9 crore. Rakibul however emphasises that additional funds to tackle the situation. Char Development and Implementation Council President Prof Shafiqul Islam Bebu said the people of the char areas are facing a “severe humanitarian crisis” due to the combined impact of floods and erosion. He added that permanent river management solutions and quick compensation are needed for affected families. District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Benazir Rahman said lists of affected families are being prepared through upazila administrations. So far, 275 tonnes of rice, Tk 1.62 lakh in cash and 1,000 packets of dry food have been allocated for relief. Meanwhile, local journalist and general secretary of the Kurigram District Development and Implementation Council Syed Ahmed Babu said stop-gap measures such as geobags are no longer enough. “Only permanent river management can save Kurigram. Affected families must also receive proper compensation without delay,” he said.

The flood situation in Kurigram district deteriorated further as water levels in all the major rivers in the region are rising rapidly. Abdullah Al Mamun, Executive Engineer of Kurigram Water Development Board, said the Dudhkumar river was flowing 42 cm above its danger level while the Dharla river was flowing 22 cm above the red mark. Besides, the water level of Teesta and Brahmaputra rivers is also increasing rapidly. Flood situation may worsen in low-lying areas of Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari: FFWC Due to the rise in the water level of all major rivers, the roads were submerged while flood water also entered houses, causing untold suffering to the dwellers, especially sanitation problems and creating a shortage of drinking water. Flood situation improves in Sunamganj; water levels of rivers fall According to the local administration, they are preparing a list of flood-affected areas, and food assistance has already been provided to 800 families in the area. The worsening flood situation may continue for 3-4 more days and then it may abate, said Engineer Abdullah. Flood situation in Netrokona’s low-lying areas may improve in 24 hours: FFWC

Farmers in Kurigram have been hugely hit, with the recent floods wrecking havoc on their crops. Agriculture is one of the mainstays of Bangladesh's booming economy, but the devastation to crops in the northern district has put the livelihoods of many farmers on the brink. In fact, the losses in the agriculture sector caused by the floods in Kurigram has been estimated at a whopping Tk 127.54 crore, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).  According to the DAE, a total of 80,035 cultivators have been affected by the floods, with 15,851 hectares of cropland in the district being partially or fully destroyed in the natural calamity. This season, the farmers of the district cultivated 34,310 hectares of agricultural land. But due to the flash floods and heavy downpour, around 15,851 hectares have been inundated. Of these, 7,351 hectares have been damaged fully during the fortnight-long floods. Read Also: Thousands still marooned by floods in Savar Apart from this, around 8,427 hectares of cropland have been damaged partially by the floodwaters. As a result, the production of a total of 35,055 metric tonnes of crops has been affected, which is 25.57% of the total crops. The Aush paddy and jute have been affected the most, followed by vegetables. Floodwaters have damaged 9,521 hectares of cultivated jute land of a total of 16,577 hectares, 3,580 hectares of Aush paddy of a total of 8,480 hectares, and 1,161 hectares of vegetables of 4,034 hectares of cultivated land in Kurigram. Read Also: Food, work shortage hits Kurigram flood victims hard The damaged crops in the district include Aman seedbed, jute, Aush paddy, sesame, vegetables, peanuts, banana, corn, chili, ginger, turmeric, onion, sugarcane and lentil. Shamsul Alam, a vegetable grower of Chararpar village under Kurigram sadar upazila, said, “I invested Tk 50,000 from my own pocket and borrowed Tk 30,000 from an NGO. Also, I borrowed Tk 20,000 from a local lender at a high rate of interest. I have suffered huge losses." Another farmer, Jabbar Ali of the same village, said, “We hoped to make big bucks this year. But the flash floods washed away our dreams.”   Contacted, Md Abdur Rashid, deputy director of Kurigram DEA, said, “We have informed the higher authorities after estimating the losses. The affected farmers will be brought under incentive packages." "We have already received an allocation to bring 7,000 farmers under incentives which will help them recover some amount of losses," he added.

People in flood-hit Kurigram district are suffering increasingly due to lack of pure drinking water, food and sanitation. Though water levels of almost all rivers have subsided to a large extent, some are still flowing above the danger mark. Still two lakh people in nine upazilas of the district are homeless. While some people have taken refuge in a number of temporary shelter homes, others are in makeshift tents on the roadside. Read: US to provide emergency flood relief for people in northern Bangladesh:Envoy According to the District Relief and Rehabilitation Centre, 1.41 lakh people have been rendered homeless. On the other hand, some 361 shelter homes have been set up in the district. Some 160 people have taken shelter in three temporary homes in Nageshwari upazila, officials said. Besides, 325 educational institutions have been closed due to the worsening flood situation in the district.

Although school and college students across the country returned to their classes on Sunday after a long closure for Covid, the students of many primary, secondary schools and madrasas in Kurigram district are missing out the joy as they are bearing brunt of flooding. Some 200 schools and madrasas have been damaged by the recent floods in the district while seven schools that were washed away in Roumari, Nageshwari and Ulipur upazilas could not be reconstructed yet, officials said. They said the furniture of many schools were damaged due to prolonged closure and flooding while the roads connecting many schools are in very bad shape. Read: Flood in Kurigram getting worse - During a recent visit to Sardob Government Primary School along the Dharla River in Sadar upazila, the UNB correspondent found its ground fully under floodwater. Still, two students came to their school to submit their assignments wading through waist-deep water. Expressing his fear over the poor presence of students, Atul Chandra Roy, headmaster of Sardob Government Primary School, said, “Water is everywhere around the school. The roads connecting the school got damaged.” Matiar Rahman, a guardian of the school, said, “The road became unfit for movement as a number of big holes have developed on it, and it is just impossible for students to use this road.” Read: Flood, erosion leave 500 families homeless in Kurigram More worrying is that seven schools have recently gone into the gorge of the river due to its bank erosion. Bandula Kura Government Primary School in Ulipur upazila, Akbar Ali primary government school in Nageshwari upazila, Gatiasham Bagurapra Government Primary School in Razarhat upazila are among those. Meanwhile, Faluarchar Char Government Primary School and Ghughumari Government Primary School in Roumari upazila had been shifted last year due to erosion by the river. Now the furniture and valuables of the schools are getting damaged for lack of maintenance as those have been kept under the open sky. Read Fight the Flood: Safety measures to take before, during, after floods in Bangladesh Abdul Gafur, headmaster of Choto Kalua Government Primary School in Sadar upazila, said, “His school building stands threatened by erosion. Although the school reopened on Sunday, the presence of students was very thin.” Fazlur Rahman, headmaster of Sardob Ideal High School, said, “Many poor students, from class VII to X, went to different districts of the country in search of work due to the pandemic while many girl students have become victims of child marriage. So, the presence of students is now very low.” Shahidul Islam, Kurigram District Education Officer, said steps have been taken to ensure the continuation of smooth educational activities in the flood-hit schools. On Sunday, the students of schools and colleges in Bangladesh returned to their classrooms with much enthusiasm after an 18-month closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Read Loom industry badly damaged by flood in Sirajganj

As many as 50 villages on the sandbars on the Dharla and Teesta rivers in Kurigram have been flooded due to heavy monsoon rains.   In the last three days, some 20 families have been rendered homeless across the villages on the riverine land.   Besides, several hectares of Aman seedbeds, and jute, corn and other agricultural fields went under flood water due to the rise in water levels of the rivers.   In fact, the water levels of all the 16 rivers in the district, including Brahmaputra, Dharla, Teesta and Dudhkumar, have increased due to three days of continuous rains.   Read Dhaleshwari erosion takes serious turn in Keraniganj     With the rise in water levels, riverbank erosion has intensified at several places, including Teesta Gabur Helan, Khitabkha, Dharlar Sardob, Pateshwari.    A 50-metre area of the dam in Sardob has been submerged too. As a result, some 15 villages in the low-lying areas of the district have gone under water, rendering scores of residents homeless. Read Climate migration in Bangladesh may increase 7-fold by 2050: ActionAid

Amina Begum of Sadar upazila’s Shuvarkuti village had to take shelter in her father’s home as her husband’s house got destroyed by the flood. She managed some loans and planted apel kul, papaya, chilly and eggplants on 60 decimals of her father’s land. This season she had to count a hefty loss for cultivating crops. Amina took up farming vegetables and fruits to recoup the loss and hopes to make enough to buy a piece of land to build her own home.

Heavy rains and upstream water are worsening the flood situation in Kurigram inundating cropland, houses and cutting off road communication affecting thousands of people.

About 15,000 hectares of cropland has gone under water in nine upazilas of Kurigram during the fifth phase flooding triggered by onrush of upstream water and heavy downpours.

Rainfall in recent days and water from the upstream have caused Teesta, Dharla and Brahmaputra rivers to burst their banks and inundate new char areas in Kurigram, leaving around 50,000 people marooned.