FLOODING in the east, north- and south-east that has so far affected about three million people in more than nine districts mostly in the greater Chattogram region warrants an early, serious attention. The flooding — which very heavy to extremely heavy rain that has continued in the affected areas and in the upstream Indian state of Tripura for about a week triggered it — has had a compounding impact especially in Cumilla reportedly after India released water from the Dumboor hydroelectric project n the Gumti basin. River height in the affected areas increased by up to three metres in 24 hours until August 21 morning. Water overflowed flood protection embankments. Flooding breached parts of the embankments and washed away many road stretches. Communication of many areas with district headquarters has been disrupted. Hundreds of fish and poultry farms are reported to have been swept away. Standing crops on vast expanses of farmland has gone under water. The flooding has inundated sections of Dhaka-Chattogram Highway. Scores of flood shelters have been opened in educational institutions and other public buildings. The district administration of Noakhali, where 90 per cent of the area is reported to have been inundated, says that about two million people have been affected in the district alone.
In such a situation, with more areas coming to be inundated and heavy to very rainfall continuing, the pressing task that remains is to rescue the people who have already been stranded and are still at risks of being stranded. The rescuers at work are reported to be struggling and fire service, troops and Coast Guard personnel have been employed to evacuate people to safety. Relief operation is also reported to have faced an unprecedented hurdle as most of the local representatives have been in hiding since the overthrow of the Awami League government. Rescuers and others running relief operation could not reach many submerged areas. Public agencies engaged in rescue and relief operation are reported to be facing a great shortage of logistics, especially vessels. The situation has prompted many volunteers to venture out in rowboats with risks. In the short run, the government should, therefore, employ all its logistics and deploy all its human resources it can to rescue people to safety and ensure food and drinking water supply. The government needs to hurry its operations as the flooding is reported to worsen with more rainfall and a further increase in river heights feared.
While the government needs to have several mid-term issues such as stepped up efforts to manage health issues, rehabilitation of the people affected and the rebuilding of the structures damaged and long-term issues such as talks with India on a timely intimation of flood-related issues that include the release of water upstream, what must the government now have as a priority agenda is to rescue people to safety and ensure relief supplies for the affected. The government may also put out a call for sections of society to come to the rescue of the flood-affected people.
