Waterborne diseases now the concern

Sixty-five-year-old Jobeda Khatun took shelter at a river protection dam in Kutubpur union in Bogura's Sariakandi upazila 10 days ago.

"I have been drinking water from the river most of the time since then. Pure drinking water is not available here," she said.

Jobeda, resident of Gughumari Char area, also said that she was suffering from waterborne disease due to the water crisis.

Like Jobeda, hundreds of people were suffering from different types of waterborne diseases in the flood-hit districts. They were also deprived of medical facilities.

Emran Ali Rani, chairman of Kutubpur union in Sariakandi upazila, said over 1,000 people were affected in his union only.

"Many of them are suffering from skin disease, fever and stomach disease, but no medical team has been set up in my union so far," he added.

Contacted, FM Mahmudur Rashid, health officer of the upazila, said 13 medical teams were working in the affected areas and the health department set up 25 tube-wells in the shelter areas.

In four upazilas of Gaibandha, more than 1 lakh people have already been affected by flood and many of them suffering from different waterborne diseases.

They also had insufficient medical attention.

Abdul Hai, chairman of Mollar Char Union Parishad, one of the worst affected areas in the district, said even cattle were being infected of waterborne diseases there.

The diseases started spreading as the water level started receding, he added.

Contacted, Abdus Samad, livestock officer of the district, said they would soon send a medical team to Mollar Char.

In Lalmonirhat, flood victims are suffering from different waterborne diseases including itch, sore, diarrhoea, dysentery, vomiting, headache and others. But they too have insufficient medical services.

People are forced to drink floodwater due to lack of drinking water there, locals said.

Jaheda Bewa, of Harinchara area in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said, "I have been suffering from dysentery after drinking flood water-mixed water. No health worker visited us for providing healthcare services."

However, the district's civil surgeon Nirmalendu Roy claimed that waterborne diseases have not been spread in the flood-hit area.

Health officials are distributing water purifying tablets among the flood victim, he added.

In Kurigram, almost similar situation is prevailing.

Abul Hossain, of Char Mashalerchar in Sadar upazila, said, "We have been suffering from different waterborne disease. We are taking treatment from the local quack. But no government officials visited us."

Contacted, the district's civil surgeon Habibur Rahma said, "Medical teams have been working in the flood-affected areas. We have not found any diarrhoea cases, but we are getting dysentery, fever and eczema patients."

In Sirajganj, flood water has started receding. But many people still remained waterlogged.

A total of 1.59 lakh people have reportedly been marooned in 216 villages there, according to the district administration.

Due to the waterlogging, waterborne diseases have spread in flood affected areas but the number of patients is too poor to count, said Humayun Kabir, statistic officer of Sirajganj civil surgeon office.

"Few people are affected with diarrhea but we don't have the actual report as most of the victims did not take treatment at hospital," he said.

In Manikganj, erosion by flood water have been taking place in last couple of days. So far, river erosion has taken place at 15 points in the district.

Over 500 houses and several other establishments have already been eroded. Sand bags are being dumped in the erosion-hit areas to resist check the erosion, said Main Uddin, executive engineer of the district's WDB office.

In Munshiganj, water have started receding from the flood-hit areas as the water level of the Padma river was decreasing.

Water of the Padma river was flowing 6.29 meter below the danger mark at Vagyakul point yesterday morning, said TM Rashidul Kabir, executive engineer of WDB.

Our correspondents from Bogura, Lalmonirhat, Manikganj and Pabna contributed to this report.