Early warnings do not reach flood-hit people
Photo: Barta24.com
Ibat Ali is a resident of Char Dakshin Baladoba Char of Begumganj Union of Ulipur Upazila of Kurigram. As the water in the Brahmaputra river has risen, the water has already reached the rice paddies of his living room. Even if 4 cows are kept in a dune, water has risen in that dune as a result of the continuous increase of water in the last 3 days. He was looking for a boat to take the cows to another place for the last two days. 3 days the cows have been under knee deep water and their legs have started to rot. On Wednesday (July 3) afternoon, on the way to hire a boat to keep the cows in the nearby bazaar, he was saying, 'I thought the water would not rise as much as last time. But it is not possible to stay at home due to the rising water for 3 days. We don't know when the water will rise or fall. Sometimes I listen when I go to the market.
Ibat Ali is not alone. Flood early warning does not reach most of the thousands of families in Kurigram's flood-affected Char area. When the water in the river started to rise in the grazing areas, the communication system was cut off. Due to the lack of boats, most of the families have to rely on other people's boats. Or you have to do urgent work with a boat with a higher rent. Mobile phones cannot be charged due to power outage. Flood affected people have to survive with limited communication even for urgent needs. Char people also have fewer tendencies to go to the local market every day. Everyone has an urge to go to market twice a week and return home quickly in daylight. So many people don't even get a chance to look at the TV in the market.
On Wednesday, Barta 24.com Correspondent visited some wild grasses in Begumganj Union. Along with various crises, many also regret not getting early warning of floods. They said that the damage would have been a little less if the water rise had been reported a few days before the flood. Cattle in particular could be kept safely on high ground.
Montu Mia of Batuatuli Musar Char said, "I have not received the government's announcement." I went to the market, take what I see on TV in the tea shop. I don't go to the market every day. I go for a walk two days a week. I saw the news on TV that the water is raising. But it was not known that it would increase so much. Some items were washed away. A few chickens died. If I had known earlier, I would have left it at a relative's house.
The local administration gives instructions to the local public representatives to convey information to the people on an urgent basis during the flood situation. Begumganj Union Chairman Bablu Mia said, 'Regular updates are delivered to our UP members. Also, we relay information to disaster response committees, village-based volunteers. I will find out why the information does not reach the people of Char area.
Saidul Arif, Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram, said, "The local administration (at the Union level) cannot avoid the responsibility of not reaching the flood-affected people on time. It is a collective work. There is no shortage of information. We will work on how to deliver information through coordination.
Due to heavy rains and upstream flow, the water level of Brahmaputra river in Kurigram has exceeded the mark. At 6 pm on Wednesday at Chilmari and Nunkhawa points, the water of this river flowed 34 cm and 32 cm above the danger level respectively. As a result of the continuous rise in water, thousands of people in some upazilas have been flooded in the lower areas of its basin. The water of Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers is increasing. In this situation, flood situation has arisen in the lower part of the district. New areas are being flooded.
Disaster management and relief wing of the district said that about 320 square kilometers area of Kurigram has been flooded. 404 shelters are operational for flood victims. So far 61 metric tons of rice, 2 thousand 967 packets of dry food and cash of Tk. 3 lakh 90 thousand have been distributed. 83 medical teams are deployed for emergency health care.
