Floods 2004

Inedible on the bowl
Source: Daily Star, Bishawjit Das

A flabbergasted Nesa Banu, 65, of Falshatia village of Manikganj district shows journalists inedible, rotten rice and potato she received at Mahadebpur relief camp in Ghior yesterday. Allegations of irregularities in relief distribution at the camps in the district are widespread. PHOTO: Anisur Rahman

Around 10 lakh flood-hit people of Manikganj are in acute crisis of food and many of them are suffering from water-borne diseases. Inadequate relief and contaminated food and drinking water are blamed for such sufferings of people.

Floodwaters have submerged all villages on both sides of the nearly 88-kilometre-long Dhaka-Aricha highway, forcing thousands to move to flood shelters, embankments or the highway.

District Flood Control Room at Manikganj said the current spell of floods has affected about 1.75 lakh families, damaged nearly 75,000 houses, destroyed standing crops in about 1.66 acres of land and left 16 people killed.

The floods have affected 65 unions, two municipalities, around 400 kilometres of roads, 53.5 kilometres of embankment and 227 bridges in the district, it added.

Locals said floodwater receded in the last two days from the submerged stretches of the highway in Boalia and Uthuli of Shibalaya upazila.

RELIEF

Hundreds of people at three relief distribution centres this correspondent visited yesterday complained of not receiving any relief.

At Jagir High School relief distribution centre in Manikganj municipality, some 500 people were seen anxiously waiting for more than two hours for the local lawmaker to arrive and distribute food.

The lawmaker arrived at 10:35am and scolded the local authorities and a person concerned for inadequate relief arrangement for a huge gathering. "Do you think relief comes from your father's possession?" he yelled.

"WE EAT ONCE A DAY”

"The relief centre provides khichuri once a day and that is what we eat here ," said primary school student Rupali, who along with 200 women and children have taken shelter at a school.

"I have been living at Aricha Belayet Hossain High School flood shelter for the last eight days along with 100 other flood-hit people, but I have received no relief till now," said Maleka Begum, secretary of Shibalaya upazila Mohila BNP unit.

"SIR, TAKE MY NAME”

A number of women including Saleha, Anwara and Momtaj of Shibalaya and Hazera, Kabila, Mariam Rizina and Lucky of Manikganj municipality wanted their names to be put on food distributing list.

"Sir, take my name," uttered Momtaj in a feeble voice, adding, "I have been starving for the last two days."

" WE WILL STARVE RATHER THAN TAKING SUCH RELIEF”

There were also people like Nessa Banu, a 65-year-old woman from Falsatia, who complained of receiving rotten rice in the relief packet yesterday morning.

At Barangail village, she showed this correspondent a packet containing two kg of rice, potato and onion that were rotten.

"It is better to starve than taking this sort of relief," she said.

NGO RELIEF

Community Development Centre (CDC), an Aricha-based NGO, yesterday distributed a pack of 20-kg rice, 2-kg pulses, 1 litre oil, 1 kg salt, 6 candles and 4 match boxes among 1,000 families each in Shibalaya, Arua and Teota unions.

LIFE ON HIGHWAY

Thousands of people are living on Dhaka- Aricha highway with their cattle and other belongings.

Their miseries are mounting day by day due to crisis of food and drinking water.

DISEASES

Water-borne diseases have broken out in seven villages of Shibalaya and Doulatpur upazilas, said locals.

DOUBLY DISTRESSED

Around 3,000 flood-hit families of Jafarganj of Shibalaya, and 28,000 families of Bachamara, Charkatari, Baghutia and Zionpur of Daulatpur upzilas are now doubly distressed since the Padma had devoured their houses about two months ago.

They had moved to the Padma-Jamuna Embankment to take shelter.

No relief reached the remote area since yesterday, they said.

"WE HELP OURSELVES”

People finding no place at government flood shelters are taking refuge in nearby houses still safe from floods.

"We help ourselves," boasted 50-year-old Faiz Uddin of Balitha village. " A flood-hit family is at my house along with their belongings and they will stay as long as my house is not inundated."

He went on, "We share our food with them at this time of gajab (deluge )and I believe we can overcome the problem this way."

BOAT-MAKERS AND BOATMEN

Boat-makers and boatmen seem happy that their earnings are on the rise since the onset of floods as boats and rafts made of bamboo and banana tree are the only modes of transport in flooded areas.

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