Water recedes, sufferings on

The Teesta devours a school at Dhusmara Char in Kaunia of Rangpur jeopardising the dreams of several hundred students. The partially collapsed school had to be demolished. The photo was taken in July. Photo: Mehdi Hasan

Even though floodwater receded in many areas, the sufferings have not lessened, as waterborne diseases are breaking out.

The situation in all the flood-affected areas was improving as the water level of all major rivers showed a diminishing trend, says the bulletin of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre.

At least six people drowned in floodwater, including five children, in Jamalpur and Kurigram in the last 24 hours, ending at 6:00pm yesterday, while another child died from snakebite in Munshiganj.

People have started to go back to their homes from flood shelters, except those who have become homeless. As the government relief did not reach most of the flood-affected areas, people have been suffering from food and drinking water shortages and were in need of fodder for their cattle.

For the last few days Jamalpur has witnessed the outbreak of waterborne diseases, reports our correspondent there. 

On Wednesday, 43 people have been diagnosed with diarrhoea, 12 with respiratory tract infection, 25 with skin diseases, eight with eye infections and 67 with other diseases, including dysentery, fever and cold-related complications, according to the civil surgeon's office in Jamalpur. One was bitten by a snake, while 13 people got hurt while wading through floodwaters, the office said.

Two children and an elderly man drowned in three upazilas of the district on Wednesday and Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Kakoli, 2, Arif, 3, and Gena Munshi, 65.

Civil Surgeon Hafizur Rahman of Jamalpur said 77 medical teams were working in 48 affected unions of the district.

Water of the Jamuna was flowing 12 centimetres below the danger mark at Bahadurabad Ghat point, the Water Development Board sources said.

Three children drowned in floodwater in Kurigram within the last 24 hours, ending at 6:00pm. The diseased are Rafiqul Islam, 2, Sumayea, 1, and Abirul Islam, 2. A total of nine children have died so far in Kurigram.

Our Munshiganj correspondent reports: 79 families have become homeless due to erosion of the Padma this year while around 3,000 families had been affected by the floods.

Sumana Das, 7, died from snakebite at Rajdia village in Sirajdikhan yesterday morning.

Kazi Shariful Alam, deputy commissioner of Munshiganj, claimed that the spread of waterborne diseases was under control. Several medical teams were working to tackle the situation.

Quoting the chairman of the Sherpur upazila parishad, our correspondent reports, the flood situation was improving there but people needed relief materials.