Crops on 10,000 hectares inundated afresh
Incessant rain and onrush of water from across the border that caused flashfloods in Sunamganj, Sylhet, Kishoreganj and Netrakona districts for the past few days washed away Lalurgoala dam at three points in Sunamganj yesterday, inundating crops of around 10,000 hectares of land in Shonir Haor (water body).
The sudden floods, which have already caused the deaths of 1,276 metric tonnes of fish and 3,844 ducks because of water contamination, and damaged crops on two lakh hectares, prompted the government go for massive relief programme 30-kg rice and Tk 500 cash every month for each family.
An inter-ministerial meeting held at the disaster management and relief ministry decided to continue the programme in the flood-hit areas until the next harvest.
The onrush of hill water breached the dam at Lalur Goala, Ahammak Khali and Radhapur points surrounding Shonir Haor in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj yesterday, foiling all attempts of the local people to protect the dam.
Local people voluntarily tried to protect the dam, but failed, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud told this correspondent.
Meanwhile, an inter-ministerial meeting decided to provide food and cash relief to affected farmers as part of a 100-day programme launched by the disaster management and relief ministry.
The meeting, presided over by Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, however, rejected a demand for declaring the affected parts as distress areas.
The meeting also disclosed that 1,276 metric tonnes of fish and 3,844 ducks died in the haor areas because of water contamination. Besides, crops on two lakh hectares had been totally destroyed, resulting in a loss of about six lakh tonnes of rice in the flood-hit areas.
We will provide 30 kg of rice and Tk. 500 cash every month to each family as part of the relief for haor people affected by the flash floods, the minister announced at the end of the meeting.
Besides, some 171,715 families in the affected areas would get relief materials through the Vulnerable Group Feeding
(VGF) programme and open market sale (OMS), Maya said.
The situation has not worsened so much that the affected haor areas has to be declared as distress areas, he said in reply to a query.
He also said about 8086 per cent of crops of the Sunamganj haor had been destroyed. Around 3335 lakh metric tonnes of rice and Tk. 50 crore will be provided to 3.30 lakh affected ultra-poor families in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona and Kishoreganj haor districts, he added.
The government would keep providing relief to the ultra-poor families until the water remains in the areas and if the crop fields remain under water for the next 100 days, the minister said.
Describing four districtsSunamganj, Kishoreganj, Sylhet and Netrakonaas the worst affected, Maya said farmers of those districts were unable to harvest Boro paddy due to the sudden rush of water from the hills.
Citing the absence of any food crisis in the country, the minister said that the government would provide rice at Tk. 10 a kg for those who would choose not to accept relief.
He urged journalists to report objectively on this issue.
The meeting also decided to form a high-powered committee comprising the joint secretaries of all the ministries to monitor the situation. The additional secretary of the disaster management ministry will head the panel.
The members of the committee will visit the disaster-affected areas and submit a report with recommendations within 15 days.
Secretaries of water resources, finance, agriculture, food, environment, fisheries and livestock ministries, along with director generals from various departments, attended the meeting.
Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, meanwhile, said that flashfloods are taking place in the haor areas after incessant rainfall and waters have spilled over the crop-protection embankments, causing damage to crops,.
The ministry has formed two separate committees to determine whether there was any corruption or negligence of duties during the construction of the embankments.
Weve learnt a lesson from this disaster in the haor areas. We are considering raising the height of the embankment by 1 metre. But before that, weve to assess whether there will be any environmental impact, Anisul Islam Mahmud said while replying to a question from reporters at a press briefing at the Secretariat.
The press briefing was called to discuss the recent flash flood in the haor areas of Netrokona, Sylhet, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar.
Describing the flash flood in the areas as unusual, the minister said: We didnt expect such untimely flood. It has happened due to climate change and the rise of the water level above the dam height.
Weve to re-evaluate certain matters like raising the embankment height or changing the rice variety that grows in the area to one with a longer harvesting time, he added.
Prior to March 29, Cherrapunji in the Indian state of Meghalaya received 1,100 mm of rain in nine daysthe water essentially came from there, the minister said.
Sylhet and Sunamganj each received about 450 mm and 500 mm of rains respectively, the minister also said.
The flood mainly happened because of this water. Now, we can only take lessons from here, he added.
Regarding allegations of corruption, the minister said: Were examining the allegation. Stern action would be taken if corruption is proved during investigation.
There are about 820 embankments, and the department concerned has to repair the dams annually, he added.
The department concerned has paid only Tk. 22 crore out of the Tk. 60 crore bill for work done under the ministry, Anisul Islam Mahmud said. The payment has been stopped because dams were repaired by cutting the soil near them, he added.
An unusually early flash flood struck the haor belt late last month. Three weeks after the flash flood, thousands of fish, ducks, frogs and leeches started dying in the haors of Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Netrakona and Mymensingh.
The state minister for water resources, Nazrul Islam, and several other senior officials attended the meeting.
