THE government has come up with details on the damage that flash flooding of the east, north-east and south-east for a fortnight beginning in the third week of August has caused. The disaster management and relief ministry has estimated the damage from the flooding to the tune of Tk 142.69 billion, warranting that the government needs to put in serious efforts in rebuilding and rehabilitation. The ministry estimate says that flooding has destroyed 28,386 houses, rendering 150,000 people homeless, and damaged 319,219 houses in the 11 affected districts. The flood has washed away 423 culverts and damaged 1,097 others. Highways and roads spanning 3,684 kilometres have been destroyed; 13,782 kilometres of roads and highways have been damaged. About 10,000 kilometres of road stretches have been affected in the countryside, pointing to the vulnerability of road communications. Twenty-one educational institutions have been destroyed and 3,033 educational institutions damaged. Ninety places of worship have been swept away and 3,263 places of worship have been damaged. Flood protection embankments spanning 61 kilometres have been destroyed and 286 kilometres have been damaged. Forested land and nurseries spanning 48,520 hectares have been destroyed and 18,074 hectares damaged. The flood destroyed 45,719 tube wells and damaged 137,140 tube wells. Fish farms on 35,092 hectares of land were damaged.
The official estimate of the damage suggests that the flood has laid waste to infrastructure, housing, road communications and livelihood. It has also left people, especially along the coast, at risks of further jeopardy of high tide as large stretches of embankments have been destroyed and damaged. The damage in Cumilla has been extensive because of a sudden increase in river heights resulting from the discharge of water upstream in India, coupled with extremely heavy rainfall. In two weeks after the flood water has receded, certain flood-hit districts faced further losses because of incessant rainfall that had continued for three days. In such a situation, relief efforts, especially, of public agencies appear to have been inadequate as people cried out for food and medicines even when the flood water started receding. The government is reported to have so far received Tk 795.2 million in relief funds opened to help the flood victims, but it has distributed only Tk 50 million in food and cash aid. The government efforts in flood relief supplies and mitigation have so far been visibly poor. Now that it has an estimate of the extent of damage, it will be easy for the government to work out a comprehensive rehabilitation plan and put the plan to work in a coordinated manner. But it needs to begin shoring up the issues without delay.
The government should, in such a situation, work out a comprehensive rehabilitation plan in view of the extent of damage to put the flood victims back to normal life. Repairs of the damaged infrastructure are also important in view of the risks the victims face and the problems they face in communications. The government should also shell out the money required for the sustainable rehabilitation of the flood victims.
