Flood spreads to Netrokona, Kurigram

Vast swathes of Sylhet and Sunamganj districts have been flooded for a week, due to heavy rains coupled with the onrush of waters from the upstream. Water recently receded in some regions of the districts and, at the same time, increased in some other parts.

Adding more to the woe, the flood water entered two more districts – Netrokona and Kurigram – causing immense sufferings to the people. Several hundred acres of Boro field submerged in Netrokona while low-lying areas of Kurigram went under water.

Plight of people is aggravating there in the course of time due to lack of adequate relief materials. The distressed people staged demonstrations failing to avail relief items in Companiganj upazila of Sylhet.

Aftaba Begum, a sexagenarian woman of Pashchim Darsha village in Sylhet sadar upazila, has three children. Of them, the eldest son is mentally challenged while the youngest one is physically challenged. She and her only daughter earn bread and butter for the family by working as domestic helps. They used to earn Tk 300 to 400 per day before the flood and were leading a happy life with it.

But the flood inflicted extreme sufferings on them as they lost their jobs and are now leading an uncertain life with no food items in the house. Despite being extremely poor, they received no relief items from the authorities.

“Water has entered our room and we are residing in it. No one has offered us food. No one turns to others now. All day long, we are only extracting water out of the room to stay in it,” she wailed during a conversation with Prothom Alo on Saturday morning.

The water level went up in Zakiganj, Bishwanath, and Fenchuganj upazilas, inundating 15 to 20 more villages. Different political parties, organisations and individuals continued distributing relief materials among the marooned people. Expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmed joined the relief distribution programme at the Thana point of Companiganj upazila on Saturday morning. A section of people demonstrated there for relief soon after the minister left the spot.

On Saturday evening, the water development board’s Sylhet office said the water receded in the Surma river and it increased at different points of Kushiyara river.

Five upazilas of Sunamgaj have been inundated for the last one week. Of them, Chhatak and Dowarabazar upazilas have been hit the hardest. The water receded slightly in most of the upazilas while increased in Sadar and Shantiganj upazilas.

Sixty-year-old Modhu Miya along with his son was staying at his room submerged in knee-high water. Other family members took refuge in a relative’s place, but they had to stay there to take care of domestic animals.

“There is no respite from miseries. We are in big trouble. Valuables are getting damaged inside the room. Water doesn’t recede, on the contrary it increases,” he said.

The district administration said relief material is being distributed among the helpless in Chhatak and Dowarabazar upazilas, the two worst-hit areas. Besides, the authorities have allocated relief for other affected areas.

Around 450 hectares of Boro fields have been flooded in Netrokona. As rain and hostile weather continue, the farmers are in big trouble for harvesting paddy and drying it. The deputy director of the directorate of agricultural extension, FM Mobarak Ali, said the paddy would not suffer damages unless the water level goes up further. However, farmers are facing hazards to harvest paddy and dry the harvests due to relentless rain.

Meanwhile, the water swelled in Dharla, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Dudhkumar and some other rivers in Kurigram and submerged vast swathes of low-lying crop fields. Besides, river erosion took a turn for the worse at some points of the districts.

Md Abdullah Al Mamun, executive engineer of Kurigram water development board, said the water level is rising at all rivers of the district. The flood forecast center also said that the district might face a short-term flood.