Engulfing waters

Let's take it as an early flood warning and start rolling up our sleeves to meet the exigency head-on.

River erosion is leaving a large number of people homeless and destitute. There will be a telling effect on the rural economy due to pauperization of a huge number of people.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Acute shortage of food and drinking water has been reported from the flooded areas. This is where preparedness leaves much to be desired. The rush of waters seems to outpace the relief operations. We are fully aware of the measures that need to be taken to rescue flood victims. But as it happens, government relief operations are launched rather late in the day due to bureaucratisation and people in great distress are left to fend for themselves in extremely hostile conditions.

An outbreak of water-borne diseases, particularly diarrhoea, has already been reported. The supply of pure drinking water has to be restored immediately to prevent spread of diseases. The government will have to respond to the sanitation problem in kind.

Well-equipped medical teams must be on their way to the afflicted to save human lives.

The people whose lives have been disrupted will have to start anew once the situation improves, so that a comprehensive rehabilitation programme needs to be drawn up, provided for and kept in readiness for implementation on a short notice.

Of crucial importance will be the challenge to keep the market prices down balancing it out with the dire need for ensuring emunerative prices to the farmers' compensatory produces.