Haor flashfloods caused Tk 5,081cr of damage
Says Haor Advocacy Platform
The devastating early flashflood has damaged Tk 5,081 crore worth of rice, fish and fodder in seven haor districts in the north-eastern region according to government agencies, but actual loss is almost double, said Haor Advocacy Platform (HAP), a rights organization, in a bulletin on Thursday.
“Boro rice -- the main crop of this single-crop region has been hit the hardest. Rice in an estimated 371,381 hectares [of land] has been damaged,” according to the bulletin.
The seven affected districts are Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Kishorganj and Brahmanbaria.
The HAP bulletin said, “Improper maintenance of submersible embankments, heavy rain and drainage congestion, overtopping of the submersible embankment, earlier than usual flashflood are among the reasons for such catastrophic damage. But, most importantly, lack of good governance is the main reason”.
According to the rights body, over nine million people in the affected areas are suffering from scarcity of food. Farmers in the area are forced to sell their cattle at half price due to acute crisis of fodder. They cannot sell their lands either as there is no prospective land buyer there.
A condition without an alternative means of livelihood will force seasonal migration, the bulletin said, adding that the flashflood has caused unavailability of financial capital and agricultural input for farming. At least five years' time would be needed to recover the loss.
The HAP said respective district administrations have distributed 1,603 metric tonnes of rice and Tk 7,974,000 in cash among the destitute.
The rights body recommended providing food, cash and fodder support for the flashflood victims, bringing them under Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme, introducing open market sale (OMS), ceasing wetland lease for alternative livelihood, providing farmers with agricultural input, involving community in embankment repair process for accountability and transparency, improving drainage across the basin, raise embankment height and conducting ecological assessment.