Flood catching us unawares

It is in the nature of such flooding to be intensive rather than extensive. But the conventional definition of a flash flood has been somewhat overshot by the sheer spread and reach of the current phenomenon. Although confined to the Padma basin, the flooding has pushed newer borders within it. And, given its intensity, the damage has been pretty much corrosive. The Padma, Mahananda and Arial Kha have swelled resulting in large parts of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Ishwardi, Pabna, Kushtia, Nilphamari and even Faridpur coming under water. The Padma protection dam has breached threatening further inundation; land erosion has caused homelessness, not to mention the large scale damage wrought to crops, property and homesteads. Six persons have already died.

Economic loss could be substantial. A large swathe of granary has been affected giving rise to the sordid prospect for reduced harvesting of Aman. The snapping of supply-line in the hinterland will predictably raise the market prices.

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The cascading waters would flow into the sea as swiftly as they came over our territory, the Meghna estuary remaining free for the downward rush waters into the sea. The whole point is: the quickly receding waters will leave spawning grounds for various diseases, cholera in particular, which can wreak havoc on public health. The needs for water purification tablets, ORS sachets, vaccines and food handouts are too compelling to sit on. Medical teams must reach out to the affected areas. Let the administrative and local government functionaries and voluntary outfits and NGOs work in tandem to mitigate the suffering of flood-affected people.