Raised plinths help char households to escape flood

RANGPUR: Like in the previous years, the raised plinths have been effectively helping 1.33 lakh extremely poor families living in remote char areas on the Brahmaputra basin in escaping during the current flash floods, reports BSS.
Side by side with escaping floods, the char families have been saving properties and cattle heads and also providing shelters to the other displaced flood-hit people as their houses are inundated in neighbouring areas.
Under the comprehensive Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP), the plinths have been raised to save the char people along with properties and domestic animals from floods to assist them in becoming self-reliant amid adverse situation.
Under the comprehensive livelihoods development programme, plinths of some 5.20 lakh people belonging to 1.33 lakh have-nots group landless char households have been raised in two phases exceeding the fixed target of 1.17 lakh households since 2004.
Plinths of 55,000 households were raised against targeted 50,000 households under CLP phase-I during 2004-2010 and more than 78,000 against 67,000 households under phase-II during 2010-2016 along with providing assistance to improve livelihoods by 2016. The UKaid through the Department for International Development and Australian Government through Australian Agency for International Development have been jointly funding implementation of the CLP.
Under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and management through Maxwell Stamp Plc, CLP is being executed by the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh, one of the CLP implementing partner organisations, Mamunur Rashid said the CLP has become effective to assist char people in escaping floods as well as adapting with climate change.
“The char people have been enjoying the privilege and changing their fortune through various income generation activities following implementation of CLP activities by a number of NGOs since 2004 in ten northwestern riverine districts,” he said.
Chairman of Astomirchar union in Chilmari upazila Abu Taleb said floodwaters could not inundate houses of the CLP beneficiaries who have also access to sanitation, pure drinking water, healthcare, microfinance, nutrition and education.
CLP beneficiaries Makduda Begum, Lalbanu, Shahera Begum, Mahfuza Khanom and Halima Begum of different char villages in Kurigram, Koohonur Begum, Rahela and Kulsum of Kawniar char village in Rangpur termed plinth-raising as their savior.
“We are not only remaining safe along with our properties, but also saving essentials and cattle-heads during the current floods like in the previous seasons and helping flood-hit neighbours by providing shelters on our raised plinths,” the women said.
Beneficiaries Parveen Begum, Delwaram Khatun, Akliman Khtun, Mariyam, Mamtaz Begum of different char villages also narrated as how they are escaping floods for the eleventh consecutive time this season when their other surrounding areas submerged.
“We are also saving our domestic animals, poultry birds and cultivate vegetables in our raised tiny homesteads despite floods now to consume those and achieve self-reliance under adverse situation,” they said.
Chilmari upazila chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram told BSS that the plinth- raising programme has become effective to escape floods by char people side by side improving their livelihoods.

 

Raised plinths help char households to escape flood

RANGPUR: Like in the previous years, the raised plinths have been effectively helping 1.33 lakh extremely poor families living in remote char areas on the Brahmaputra basin in escaping during the current flash floods, reports BSS. Side by side with escaping floods, the char families have been saving properties and cattle heads and also providing shelters to the other displaced flood-hit people as their houses are inundated in neighbouring areas. Under the comprehensive Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP), the plinths have been raised to save the char people along with properties and domestic animals from floods to assist them in becoming self-reliant amid adverse situation. Under the comprehensive livelihoods development programme, plinths of some 5.20 lakh people belonging to 1.33 lakh have-nots group landless char households have been raised in two phases exceeding the fixed target of 1.17 lakh households since 2004. Plinths of 55,000 households were raised against targeted 50,000 households under CLP phase-I during 2004-2010 and more than 78,000 against 67,000 households under phase-II during 2010-2016 along with providing assistance to improve livelihoods by 2016. The UKaid through the Department for International Development and Australian Government through Australian Agency for International Development have been jointly funding implementation of the CLP. Under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and management through Maxwell Stamp Plc, CLP is being executed by the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division. Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh, one of the CLP implementing partner organisations, Mamunur Rashid said the CLP has become effective to assist char people in escaping floods as well as adapting with climate change. The char people have been enjoying the privilege and changing their fortune through various income generation activities following implementation of CLP activities by a number of NGOs since 2004 in ten northwestern riverine districts, he said. Chairman of Astomirchar union in Chilmari upazila Abu Taleb said floodwaters could not inundate houses of the CLP beneficiaries who have also access to sanitation, pure drinking water, healthcare, microfinance, nutrition and education. CLP beneficiaries Makduda Begum, Lalbanu, Shahera Begum, Mahfuza Khanom and Halima Begum of different char villages in Kurigram, Koohonur Begum, Rahela and Kulsum of Kawniar char village in Rangpur termed plinth-raising as their savior. We are not only remaining safe along with our properties, but also saving essentials and cattle-heads during the current floods like in the previous seasons and helping flood-hit neighbours by providing shelters on our raised plinths, the women said. Beneficiaries Parveen Begum, Delwaram Khatun, Akliman Khtun, Mariyam, Mamtaz Begum of different char villages also narrated as how they are escaping floods for the eleventh consecutive time this season when their other surrounding areas submerged. We are also saving our domestic animals, poultry birds and cultivate vegetables in our raised tiny homesteads despite floods now to consume those and achieve self-reliance under adverse situation, they said. Chilmari upazila chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram told BSS that the plinth- raising programme has become effective to escape floods by char people side by side improving their livelihoods.