Water around Dhaka on rise

Death toll from flood rose to 50 marking continued rise and various water borne and viral diseases continued to spread with slight improvement of flood situation in northern districts while water level in rivers around Dhaka was on the rise on Tuesday.
Floodwater remained almost static state in the central parts of the country, said officials.
The severe flooding increased peoples’ sufferings from shortage of foods, drinking water and scarcity of sanitation and fodders for their cattle in 17 districts.
The disaster management and relief affairs ministry on Tuesday requested all the ministries concerned to provide required services to the flood-affected areas of 16 districts – Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Sirajganj, Jamalapur, Sunamganj, Rajbari, Madaripur, Faridpur, Shariatpur, Tangail, Manikganj and Munshiganj – immediately to reduce the sufferings of the affected people.
The death toll from flood rose to 50 as updated on Tuesday. Most of the victims
were drowned minors the Kurigram, Gaibandha, Sirajganj and Jamalpur since July 25, according to National Health Crisis Management Centre.
Of the deceased, 46 were drowned and four died of snake bite, medical officer of the centre Dr Sakhawat Hossain said.
At least 3,273 people so far contracted various diseases including diarrhoea, lung infection, skin diseases, eye conjunctivitis and injuries in Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Bogra, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Jamalpur and Manikganj, he said.
He said that 646 medical teams were now working in the affected areas with sufficient supply of medicines and oral rehydration saline.
The diseases might spread more and death toll might increase after the floodwater receded from the central and southern districts.
The centre collects information from the officials concerned at upazila health complexes through the civil surgeon’s offices.
In health aspect, the government declared 253 unions and 48 upazilas in 14 districts as flood affected.
The Flood Forecasting and Warming Centre said that flood situation might continue to improve in low lands adjacent to Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers in Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Sirajganj and Bogra till Friday morning while flood situation in Rajbari, Manikganj, Munshiganj and Shariatpur might remain steady till Thursday morning.
The water in Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Lakhya rivers around Dhaka were on the rise which was supposed to continue till this morning.
Warning centre duty officer Ripon Karmaker said that that low areas of Demra and Mirpur might be inundated due to rise of water in Balu and Turag rivers.
He said that the areas around the capital remained at warning level as river around the city might continue to rise till Wednesday morning.
Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Surma-Kushiyara river systems were in falling trend while the Ganges-Padma was in steady state, he said.
In Kurigram, flood victims were crying for relief. Scarcity of food and pure drinking water are prevailing there. The croplands, education, sanitation and communication system collapsed. District administration said that 1,275 tonne rice, 2000 packets of dry food and Tk 38 lakh in cash had been distributed.
In Jamalpur, The flood situation further improved as water of the Jamuna and the Brahmaputra rivers was receding promptly.
As the flood sustained for two weeks in the district, 1.5 lakh families at seven upazilas were affected somehow by the flood, said deputy commissioner Md Shahabuddin Khan.
He said that 800 tonne rice and 5,700 packets of dry foods were distributed among the affected families till Monday and 2,000 packets of dry foods were being distributed until Tuesday afternoon.
In Shariatpur, flood worsened as water in the Padman was flowing 70cm above the danger level. If such trend of water flow continues, it will cross the floods of 1998, said affected people.
Over two lakh people were affected by floods at five upazilas of the district. The sanitation system was damaged as most of the toilets were inundated by the floodwater.
There is a huge shortage of drinking water as tube-wells wend under water.
In Sirajganj, about two lakh flood-affected people were facing shortage of foods and drinking water and sanitation problems.
The disaster management and relief affairs ministry sent letters to eight ministries on Tuesday saying that people of 16 districts were facing multiple crises and they needed help from all the ministries concerned to overcome the crises.
The letter to the local government ministry stated that flood caused huge damage to the roads disrupting communication and to the source of pure drinking water at different areas of the flood affected districts.
It requested the local government ministry to take immediate steps to repair the damaged tube-wells, roads and culverts and to ensure active participation of all the local government representatives in distributing relief materials smoothly.
The letter to the health ministry said that many of the flood affected people were suffering from water-borne diseases and the diseases might turn into epidemic and requested the ministry to form required number of medical boards to provide treatments to the patients and distribute medicines and bleaching powder in the flood affected areas.
The disaster management ministry issued similar letter to primary and mass education ministry, home ministry, education ministry, fisheries and livestock ministry, agriculture ministry and water resource ministry and sought their respective services for the people of the flood affected areas.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net