Misery befalls flood victims
The now receding flash floods in northern districts have left the victims, especially those belonging to the low income group, in utter distress.
Although the water is receding fast, many people in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh are yet to return to their houses as those have become virtually unusable due to onrush of floodwater, reports our Thakurgaon correspondent.
Md Mamtaj, 75, of AC Land Bosti (slum) in Thakurgaon municipality is now staying in his damaged house, after returning from a flood-shelter at Thakurgaon District Shilpakala Academy on Saturday.
Different diseases like itching, fever, stomach ache and body pain have started spreading among the flood affected people, said officials of medical camps set up by the district civil surgeon's office.
Thirty-nine thousand farmers became affected as crop fields on 26,203 hectares were inundated in five upazilas of the district, said Maududul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
Eight educational institutions were partially damaged.
The flash floods damaged 28.8 kilometres of road under Roads and Highways Department, and 66 kilometres of brick-built roads, 220 kilometres of mud roads, 22 bridges and 86 culverts under Local Government Engineering Department.
River erosion damaged 9.06 km embankments.
The floods destroyed 21,545 cattle and 75,995 ducks and chicken were destroyed due to floods, official sources said.
As many as 28,800 families of 44 unions in five upazilas under the district have been badly affected by recent flash floods, said Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Awal.
Our Lalmonirhat Correspondent reports: At least 30 thousand flood affected farmer families in the district are facing livelihood problem as their Aman and vegetables got damaged by floodwater.
“After losing Boro paddy on eight bighas of land due to blast disease this year, I prepared to recoup the loss from Aman cultivation on ten bighas of land but floodwater damaged all the plants,” said Najerul Islam, 55, at Baruya village in Lalmonirhat Sadar.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension DAE in Lalmonirhat, Aman on 31,135 hectares land was affected by floodwater and the crop on 8,102 hectares was fully damaged. Vegetables on 525 hectares have been affected.
The government has a plan to supply Aman saplings to the affected farmers, said Bidubhushon Roy, deputy director Lalmonirhat DAE.
Meanwhile, prices of daily commodities have increased in flood affected areas, adding to the sufferings the flood victims.
Our Jamalpur Correspondent adds: A large number of fish farms in the district were washed away during the floods this season.
According to the Fisheries Department in Jamalpur, 7,995 fish farmers incurred loss of Tk 55.96 crore due to overflowing of 9344 ponds and fish farming water bodies.
Under the impact of the floods, 3447 tonnes of fish worth Tk 43.74 crore and 75 lakh fish fry worth Tk 2.74 crore were washed away, said Md Motiur Rahman, senior assistant director of the department.
The fish farmers also incurred loss of Tk 9.48 crore due to infrastructural damage, he added.
The fishermen have urged the government to arrange compensation at least to cover up their farming cost invested in the projects.
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