Bangla flood deteriorates; claims 81 lives so far

Dhaka, Aug 4: The death toll due to recent floods here rose to 81 as the current situation continues to deteriorate in the central region of Bangladesh, officials in the relief and flood control department said today.

Some 7 million people of 1.5 million families have been affected by the flood that hit 215 subdistricts of 38 districts, causing colossal damage to property and standing crops, said an official at the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry.

Local media reported scarcity of dirnking water and food for the flood affected people. The government relief is considered to be veryless to cope with the situation.

As the flood water snapped the road and highway links, the prices of essential commodities also increased manifold causing further misery to the people. Flood waters damaged standing crops on 58,00,000 acres of land.

The Chief Advisor of the army-backed interim government, Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, and the Chief of the Army Staff, General Moeen Ahmed, today visited the worst affected Siraganj and Manikganj district and distributed relief goods to the people.

Dr Ahmed urged non-governmental organisations and private individuals to supplement the government efforts to mitigate the sufferings of the hapless.

However, political parties could not come for the aid of flood victims under their party banners as the state of eremgency imposed six months ago banned all activities of the political parties.

The officials said the flood situation in Manikganj, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Madaripur , Shariatpur and Dhaka district of central region of the country is likely to deteriorate further in the next 48 hours as the water level in Ganges-Padma River continues to rise.

The water level rise of Ganges-Padma River also increases the water level in its tributaries, aggravating the flood situation in eastern part of capital Dhaka. If the water level continues to rise, the capital might submerge in the flood waters.

However, the flood situation in Northern districts of Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Bogra, Netrakona and Sunamganj will improve in a couple of days as the water level receded at Aricha point last night.

UNI