Diseases spread as floodwater starts receding

With recession of floodwater, diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases have been spreading sporadically among the flood-affected people, intensifying the sufferings of the flood victims.

The situation at different parts of the country has turned to worse as there is an acute shortage of pure drinking water in addition to improper sanitation.

The victims are mainly suffering from diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, fever, eczema, itches and other waterborne diseases.

Amid the situation, many flood-affected people are allegedly being cheated by the health department in some areas including Manikganj as the water purification tablets being distributed among them were found to be ineffective.

The flood victims have been given water purification tablets Halazone, which has not worked, they alleged. The people fell sick after drinking contaminated water as the tablets which they used to purify it failed, they complained.

The tablets were manufactured by Hind Pharma in Bhopal Industrial Area in India in September 2014 and the expiry date is August 2016.

Civil surgeon of Manikganj Dr Emran Ali said the tablets became ineffective due to improper preservation. “I have asked my team members to retrieve the distributed tablets. I have also asked them to stop distributing those tablets anymore,” he added.

Deputy Commissioner of Manikganj Rashida Ferdouse said she was informed about the tablets. She also directed the upazila nirbahi officers to retrieve the distributed tablets from the flood-affected people through the chairmen of the union parishads.

Around three lakh people of 43 unions of Farirampur, Daulatpur, Shivalaya, Ghior, Saturia and Sadar upazila of the district are under threat of health hazards as the floodwater is receding.

As the floodwater is receding, different waterborne diseases like diarrhoea and other intestine diseases are spreading fast among the flood-affected people of Teesta shoals, reports our Nilphamari correspondent.

The flood victims there have taken shelter on different structures of the Water Development Board (WDB) in Dalia of the district.

Acute shortage of pure drinking water in addition to lack of sanitation arrangement is responsible, said Rabiul Islam Shahin, chairman of Tepa Kharibari Union Parishad.

The same situation is prevailing in Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Jamalpur and Chandpur.

As there is lack of awareness among the flood victims, they are drinking floodwater-mixed water and are being affected by different waterborne diseases , our correspondent in Lalmonirhat reports.

Jahedul Islam, 48, a flood victim at Ananda Bazar village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said his widow mother Jahera Bewa, 72, has been suffering from diarrhoea after taking floodwater-mixed water. She has been admitted to Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital.

“Our two children have also been affected and are under treatment at home,” he added.

Pure drinking water is not available in the flood-affected areas, as all the tube-wells went under water at Khatiyamari Char village in Fulchhari upazila, our Gaibandha correspondent writes.

Marjina Begum, a housewife in the area, said they have taken shelter on the Singria embankment.

Flood victims, cattle and poultry are living side by side on the embankment, resulting in pollution in the living environment.

“I have been suffering from dysentery for last three days, but it has been difficult to arrange preventive medicine,” said Ramjan Ali, a flood victim on the embankment.

Many of the children have been affected by intestinal diseases. Health workers often supply water-purifying tablets and oral saline, but those are not adequate at all, said Abdul Quddus, another flood victim.

Erosion continues in some points of the Padma river due to strong current, our Munshiganj correspondent reports.

Around 150-foot road was eroded due to strong current of the Arial Kha river at Dorga Bazar under Bhaga upazila in the district last Thursday, our Faridpur correspondent reports. The locals worked the whole night to prevent the erosion with the help of WDB.

Md Safikul Islam, a schoolteacher, said the collapse started around 1:30pm, adding, when the strong current with wind hit the road, it eroded the stretch of the road around 4:00pm.

Sultan Mahamud, executive engineer of the WDB of Faridpur, said, “We have continued our work to prevent the erosion. As the locals helped us prevent the collapse and save the road, we have succeeded to avert a big problem.”

He added they have already dropped 15,000 sand sacks and 2,000 bags full of bricks to protect the road.