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Education faces wrath of floods

300 rural schools shut down

Star Report
With the flood situation remaining static in most of the northern districts, over 300 schools there have been closed, hampering education of thousands of students.
Ripon Karmaker, duty officer at Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, said the overall flood situation in the country's northwest might remain steady in next 72 hours as
the trend of rise of upstream rivers has been easing and a decrease in rainfall is expected.
Erosion of the Padma disrupted ferry services at Mawa and Kawrakandi ferry terminals yesterday, causing huge tailbacks on both sides of the river.
Some low-lying areas in the capital's Mirpur and Madartek were flooded yesterday. The rivers around Dhaka -- the Buriganga, Shitalakkhya, Turag and Balu - might rise in next 72 hours due to the rise of the Old Brahmaputra, mentioned Ripon.
Among the southern districts, Madaripur's Shibchar upazila has been hit by onrush of water from the Padma, which is flowing 15cm above the danger level.
In Bogra, over 17,000 families and 46 educational institutes in three upazilas have been affected in flooding, Md Arifuzzaman, Nazarat Deputy Collector (NDC) of Bogra, told this newspaper.
Though the water level in seven points of the Jamuna has decreased, the river was flowing 61cm above the danger level in Shariakandi upazila.
A total of 19 schools have been closed. Students of 12 more schools are attending classes on embankments under the open sky.
In Kurigram, about two lakh people in chars and low-lying areas of 52 unions remained displaced as flood water has been receding slowly. The Brahmaputra, Dharla, Dudhkumar and Teesta were flowing below their danger levels.
District Primary Education Officer Abdul Kader said 172 primary schools have been closed due to flooding.
"I've asked the school authorities to arrange classes for class-V students on higher lands as the Primary School Certificate exams are not far away," he added.
Though the flood situation improved slightly in Lalmonirhat with Teesta water level decreasing by 10cm yesterday, 47 schools in the district remained closed since August 16, disrupting education of more than 9,000 students, said district education officers.
State Minister for LGRD Mashiur Rahman Ranga visited the flood and erosion affected Kulaghat village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila yesterday, but no relief materials were distributed among the victims.
Six out of seven upazilas of Jamalpur have been hit by the flood. Some 20,000 families in the worsthit Islampur upazila are suffering from shortage of food, drinking water and medicine. Sixty-six primary schools in the district have been closed for six
days.
A total of 3,500 families of Islampur, Dewanganj and Sharishabari upazilas have been displaced by the deluge. Of them, 2,500 have already received relief materials, said Shafiqur Rahman, district relief and rehabilitation officer (in-charge).
Twenty-four metric tonnes of rice and 5.5 lakh taka have been distributed among the victims.
According to the sources of Agriculture Extension Department, a total of 14,386 hectares of cropland went underwater in the district.
Downpours coupled with the onrush of water from hilly areas triggered flash floods in Sunamganj, inundating 70 villages in the district where the Surma was flowing 93 cm above the danger level yesterday afternoon, according to the flood control cell ofWater Development Board.
Duarabazaar upazila primary education officer said 15 schools in the upazila suspended their classes.
Our correspondents in Bogra, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Jamalpur and Sunamganj contributed to this report.