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Floodwaters Rise

Thousands rendered homeless

Star Report
Rabeya Bewa, 65, a widow, and four of her family members took shelter on an embankment at Shiberkuti village in Lalmonirhat after their house went under water from the rising Dharla river about two weeks ago.
Having lost some 20kg rice, some pulse, firewood and part of their house in flooding, the poor family had to spend its entire savings in nine days.
"We did not get any relief material," Rabeya told The Daily Star after returning home yesterday along with her son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons.
"Local union parishad chairman and members didn't visit us.. .we don't know why," she said.
The main bread earner in her family is her son, a rickshaw van puller. He does not have enough work now.
"We borrowed Tk 1,200 which has to be repaid with interest. We are worried about the coming days," she added.
Locals alleged some 50 families in the village were yet to receive any relief aid, reports our correspondent from Lalmonirhat. Many flood-hit poor people in Lalmonirhat, Caibandha, Nilphamari, Bogra, Jamalpur and Kurigram alleged they did not receive any relief supplies. Some others complained of receiving paltry relief.
The reports come when the water levels in the Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Ghaghat, Dharla, Surma and Kushiara continued to recede yesterday although all of them were flowing above their danger level.
Ripon Karmaker, assistant engineer at the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, said the water level in the Padma saw a slight rise.
"So there is a little chance for flooding in the south-central parts of the country in a week," he told this newspaper.
"The monsoon rain in the country's northern region as well as in the Indian bordering states like Assam has been low, and the weather is likely to remain unchanged in next week. So there is no chance for deterioration in the overall flood situation,” he added.
NEW AREAS HIT
Some new areas in Manikganj and Munshiganj were inundated yesterday, forcing hundreds of people to leave their homes. Ferry services on the Shimulia-Kawrakandi route were under threat due to strong currents in the Padma.
Many affected people in the districts were facing shortage of jobs, food and cash. They also alleged that there was not enough relief aid.
In Gaibandha, about 150 families who took shelter on Ketkirhat Flood Control Dyke in Phulchari upazila were yet to get any relief materials. No elected public representative visited the floodhit areas, victims complained.
"We would have to starve tomorrow [today] if we don't get relief supplies as our scanty food stock is exhausted,"
said Khaibor Hossain, who has taken shelter on the dyke at Kalasona char in Phulchari.
Uriya Union Parishad Chairman Badiazzaman said the UP so far received a small supply of relief materials. The relief operation would start soon, he told The Daily Star.
Udakhali UP Chairman Anowar Hossain said they have sent requisitions to the local UNO for relief materials.
In Jamalpur, around 60 families moved to a flood shelter centre at Jarultala Govt Primary School in Islampur upazila. The victims passed nine days there without any relief materials, reports our correspondent.
According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, the government has allocated overTk 1.10 crore, over 4,200 tonnes of gratuitous relief rice, dry food, saline and water purifying tablets to 14 flood-hit districts.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday in the cabinet meeting inquired of her cabinet colleagues about the relief operations. She instructed ministers, lawmakers and Awami League leaders to stand beside the flood victims, said meeting sources.
Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said officials will face actions if they neglected their duties in distributing relief materials among the flood-hit people.
"We are supplying relief materials. No complaints have been received...we want that relief aid would reach victims in time," he said while distributing relief items among flood victims at Gohaliapari of Kalihati upazila inTangail.
The government would continue relief operations until the flood-affected people return home, added the minister.