Floods in the Southern Part of Bangladesh Reached Alarming Levels
Adnan Mahfuz
Floods and tidal surge have inundated several districts in the south. New areas are being flooded. Several villages have been submerged. The flood has reached alarming levels.
Satkhira:
Floods in Shyamnagar and Asashuni Upazilas have been intensifying in the last four days due to non-repair of broken Lebubunia and Hijlia closures and Hazrakhali embankment of the Kopotaksh and the Kholpetua rivers in Satkhira.
Thirty-nine villages in Lebubunia, Dumuria, Laxmikhali, Chokbara, Khalsabunia, Gabura, Kholpetua of Sriula union, and Pratapnagar of Gabura union of and Ashuuni Upazilas have been submerged due to two consecutive tidal surges.
There are roads, houses, crops, hundreds of shrimp farms, and small and big ponds washed away. As a result, the coastal people are living a dehumanized life.
SM Mostafa Kamal, Deputy Commissioner of Satkhira, inspected the flooded area of Asashuni and directed the local Water Development Board officials and informed the concerned ministry for the repair of the broken embankments.
Meanwhile, the lowland of Satkhira has been flooded in the last few days. Ropa Aman (Kharif 2) is submerged in the water. The most affected areas of Satkhira Sadar are Fingri, Ellarchar, Dhulihar, Brahmarpur, old Satkhira, Machkhola, Madhumlaradangi, and Labasa, Magura, Goalpota. Besides, Kolaroa, Patktlghata, and the broad areas of Tala Upazilla have been flooded. The water sweeps down Canals-bills, fields, and roads.
Barishal:
Even though the tidal water is receding in different parts of the southern region, the crops have been destroyed.
Especially summer vegetables, newly planted Aman Paddy seedlings, Aman seedbeds, and Betel leafs’ field have been severely damaged. “However, in the next few days, if the sun shines for some days, the amount of damage will not be so much,” said Aftab Uddin, Additional Director, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) at Barishal.
Kamrul Islam, secretary, Muladi Upazila Krishi Samiti said, three-fourths of the vegetable fields of farmers under his association were submerged in water. He cultivated pumpkin, snake gourd, and stalk vegetables on 5 Katha of land. Most of the crops have rotted at the base.
Mr. Kamruzzaman, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer, Muladi Upazila, said, out of 135 hectares,110 hectares of vegetable land in Muladi were submerged., Pumpkins, stalks, spinach, and papaya are also immersed in water.
Out of 660 hectares of the seedbed, 260 hectares, and out of 14 thousand hectares of Aman paddy, 2350 hectares were damaged. According to the Agriculture Office, Aus paddy is now the most common field crop in the south.
Of the Aus paddy planted in 90,992 hectares of land of the Barishal Division, 27,429 hectares of paddy has been damaged. Newly planted Aman and Aman seedbed were grown in 2 lakh 56 thousand 998 hectares of land. Of this, 79,679 hectares of paddy and Aman seedbeds are expected to be damaged. Besides, 292 hectares of Betel leafs’ field and 3,480 hectares of vegetables have been damaged.
Mr. Aftab Uddin, Additional Director of DAE, Barishal, said the tide has just started to recede. It will take another week to get the damage information from the field stage.
However, initially, 30 percent of the Division’s cropland is affected by the tidal water, and they fear colossal damage. The amount of damage can be reduced if there is a continuous sun.
Madaripur:
The water level of the Padma has started rising again in the second phase. The only road in the char area of Shibchar is under threat of collapsing. It is the only way to reach the main road from Qazi Sura in the char area.
Besides, large areas, including community clinic, Bandarkhola Union Parishad, and more than 50 shops in Kazir Sura Bazar, are under threat of Padma’s erosion.
Due to the rising water level in the Padma, the char areas’ people are living a dehumanized life. The waterlogged families have taken shelter in the shelter centers of the char areas.
In the current floods, the third-floor building of Nuruddin Madbarkandi SESDP Model High School of Char Bandarkhola Union, multiple installations of Ilyas Ahmed Chowdhury High School of Charjanajat Union and Union Parishad, the Kanthalbari Government School come to cyclone shelter went to the underwater.
Nizam Uddin Bepari, Chairman of Bandarkhola UP, said, a community clinic, Bandarkhola Union Parishad, more than 50 shops in Kazir Sura Bazar and a large number of shops were at risk of washing out into the Padma river as the demolition continued. Due to the ongoing floods and river erosion, four schools in the char areas of Shibchar have been destroyed, and education activities are being disrupted.
