Marooned, they wait for relief

People in the remote shoals of the Jamuna are suffering immensely for want of drinking water and food.

Most of the flood victims are yet to get any relief assistance.

There is also a fodder crisis.

Currently, 15 districts in the country's northern and central parts are affected by floods. Of them, situation in at least 11 districts is going to worsen today, said the bulletin of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre.

Out of 109 water monitoring stations, water level is rising at 54 points while it is overflowing the danger level at 22 points, the bulletin added.

Visiting Haldiya union, a char in the Jamuna of Gaibandha's Saghata, our Bogura correspondent yesterday found that several thousand people of the union have been marooned for last one week, but no one got any relief materials.

Pinjira Begum, 50, of Dakkhin Dighalkandi village, said, "We have been stranded since August 27, but no one gives us any relief. My husband is physically challenged. We have no boat. Therefore, we can't move to a safe place."

Nasima Begum, 35, said houses of 40 families in the village remained inundated for one week. River water is still increasing.

"We fear that our food stock will finish within a few days. We need urgent help from the government. We need food, drinking water and medicine."

Asked, Yakub Ali Prodhan, chairman of Haldiya Union Parishad, said he just got three tonnes of rice and Tk 15,000 to distribute among 7,000 flood victims in his union. He will distribute them from next week, he added.

Contacted, AKM Idris Ali, relief and rehabilitation officer of Gaibandha, said, "We have distributed 80 tonnes of rice and Tk 2 lakh among the UNOs five-six days ago when water crossed the danger level in four upazilas."

In Bogura, water of the Jamuna was flowing 69cm above the danger level at Muthurapara point in Sariakandi upazila yesterday, said Water Development Board (WDB) officials.

According to local representatives, over 85,000 people in five upazilas of the district have been affected by floods.

However, the flood victims in different char areas of Sonatala and Sariakandi upazilas are yet to receive any relief materials.

The situation is the same for the people living in the Teesta shoals.

Nearly 20,000 people in different shoals of the river and surrounding low-lying areas have been marooned in Dimla and Jaldhaka upazilas as the river started swelling alarmingly from yesterday morning, reports our Nilphamari correspondent.

Many flood victims have taken shelter on embankment of the Teesta and other safe places with their belongings and cattle.

As there are strong currents, erosion has taken a serious turn, devouring a large part of Kisamoter char in Dimla.

Joyashree Rani Roy, Dimla UNO, said they provided relief to the victims and are preparing to give more support as the union parishad concerned is making a list of the affected people.

In Manikganj, the Jamuna was flowing 33cm above the danger level at Aricha point yesterday, reports our correspondent there, quoting WDB officials.

Many educational institutions, health centres, bazars, houses and cultivable land in the district have already gone into the river, they added.

Water of Kaliganga, Dhaleshwari and Ichhamati rivers have flooded crops, roads and houses of over one lakh people.