Sufferings mount in flood-hit Kurigram

People in flood-hit Kurigram district are suffering increasingly due to lack of drinking water, food and sanitation.

News agency UNB reports that water levels of most of the rivers have recently subsided to a large extent, but some are still flowing above the danger mark.

Still 200,000 people in nine upazilas of the district are homeless. While some people have taken refuge in a number of temporary shelters, others are in makeshift tents on the roadside.

According to the district relief and rehabilitation centre, 141,000 people have been rendered homeless. For them, some 361 shelter homes have been set up across the district.

Some 325 educational institutions have been closed due to the worsening flood situation in the district.

The government has distributed some relief materials in the flood-affected areas but not enough to cater to the homeless people.

Zohra Khatun, a resident of Bhagabatipur in Sadar upazila, said, “My entire house has gone under water. We are starving.” Amir Hossain, a resident of Begumganj in Ulipur upazila, said, "My goats and cattle are without food."

Saidur Rahman, chairman of Bhogdanga union, said 5,841 families at the union have been rendered homeless but only 700 have received relief materials so far.

Abdullah Al Mamun, executive magistrate of Kurigram Water Development Board, said the flood waters have started receding.

The Brahmmaputra river was flowing 53 cm above the danger mark at Chilmari point and 19 cm above the red line at Nunkhawa point, while the Dharla river was flowing 41 cm above the danger mark at Setu point.

Rezaul Karim, deputy commissioner of the district, said already 338 metric tons of rice, Tk 16.50 lakh in cash, 1,000 dry food packets, 1895,000 baby food packets and fodder worth Tk 1775,000 have been allocated for the nine upazilas of the district.