MYMENSINGH. Sept 8: The sufferings of flood- hit people have Increased manifold with heavy downpour in many parts of the district for the last few days.

The flood stricken people who have taken shelter in different flood shelters are the worst affected. Their houses are still under flood water.

Meanwhile.over two thousand families are living In 18 flood-shelters for more than one month.They have been leading a sub-human life for want of sufficient relief materials. pure drinking water. Medical and sanitary facilities are also not available In the relief shelters, said some flood-hit families who are living in dif-fernet shelters of the town for more than four weeks.

Fazila Khatun. a middle aged woman who has been living in a pre-cadet high School with 105 other families from the beginning of the flood told this correspondent that she had got a total of 12 kg rice and wheat for her six- member family. Md Suraj All. a day labourer who leads a five-member family also expressed his woes in the same tone. When the correspondent asked about the medical facilities they told that they get saline packet and a few tablets when they wanted, but there is no proper medicare system regu-

Md Akbar Ali. President of local Bastuhara Bohumukhi Samobae Samity (BBSS) who has been living in another flood-shelter of the town among 78 families told.relief materi als are not worth mentionable adding that we are passfrig our

days in great hardship as we are out of work now. He also said that no latrine facilities is present now as two latrines of the shelter have gone beyond use for proper maintenance. They are using open places in response to natural call which has threatened to spread various diseases.

Md Ismail Sheikh, who had a grocery shop which was damaged in the flood has taken shelter under the open sky in front of Kotwali thana with 200 other families for more than one month.He told this correspondent that the relief materials which we have got so far during our stay in the shelter is very poor. He also informed, there is no latrine in his shelter. So they are using open places beside the Brahmaputra river for their natural call polluting the environment. "We have made a make-shift latrine which has been broken down due to heavy pressure of 200 families." Ismail Sheikh told.

Jahanara Begum, an old woman aged about 70. also expressed Tier grimHM Bbbut toilet problems. She also said that scarcity of drinking water is also prevailing in the shelter as only one tubewell has been Installed here for such a large number of families.

A middle-aged woman sheltered here angriliy refused to say something to this correspondent as she has been passing her days with her family members In a sub-human condition for want of daily necessities. She said. 'We want some relief to live but not report in the newspapers."

Such scenes are very common in every flood shelter.

Different educational institutions. socio-cultural organisations Including Red-Crescent Society. Mrittunioy School. Mukul Niketon ana Muminun-nessa College Students' Union distributed 'ruti', 'chira' and molasses among the flood-victims.

The government should take immediate steps to supply more relief materials Including installation of more tubewells and Increasing medical and sanitary facilities in all the flood shelters and other flood -hit areas of the district.

Affluent section of the society and other socio-cultural organisations should come forward to respond quickly and generously to the appeal of the flood victims.

Our HablganJ correspondent says: The devastating flood has caused extensive damage to crops, houses and other properties in the district.

District Relief and Rehabilitation Office sources said. 20 persons died. 321 wounded and 3 others were missing in the different affected areas of the district due to flood so far.

A total of 8.02,835 people in 77 unions of the district have been badly affected.As many as 2.700 cattles died. 38.191 houses damaged, crops on 50,013 hactares of land. 35,106 trees. 210 bridges and culverts. 1.356 km road. 131 km embankment. 1.591 ponds. 105 fish farms. 670 deep tubewells and 851 educational . other institutions have been damaged by flood.

The sources further said, the government has sanctioned Taka 5.50.000 and 400 metric ions of nee for the flood vic-

tims in the district.

Besides. 550 tons of biscuits, 3,990 pieces of sarees and 1.448 pieces of lungees have been sanctioned for the flood affected people.

The flood victims alleged that, the relief materials are insufficient and acute scarcity of food and medicine has been prevailing in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, diarrhoea and water- borne diseases have been broken out in different flood affected areas of the district.

UNB reports from Rajbari: The flood situation worsened further in Rajbari district with water level of Padma at Doulatdla ghat flowing 29 cm above the 1988 flood level.

Water Development Board sources said, presently the water level of the river at the ghat was flowing 162 cm above the danger mark.

The authorities were forced to close the two ferry ghats at Doulatdia from Tuesday morning due to strong current which inundated the roads leading to the ferry ghats.

With this, all the three ferry ghats have been closed resulting in partial,snapping of road link lietween the capital and southern part of the country.

Meanwhile, the river so far engulfed six villages of Debogram union of Goalunda thana rendering thousands of people shelterless. The villages are Charpalond, Pandi, Kushahata, Biswanathpur. Fushirhat and De bogram.

The homeless people, who have taken shelter on the highway and other safer places, are passing their days, in great hardship.