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FLOOD IN THE NORTH

No pure water to drink
Child dies in Kurigram, situation unchanged in Sirajganj, improves a bit in Lalmonirhat
STAR REPORT
Submerged homes, unusable toilets, and an acute drinking water crisis, thousands in Kurigram are struggling to meet their basic necessities due to the ongoing flood.
These have raised concerns of a waterborne disease outbreak.
“Everyone in my family of seven is suffering a lot due to a lack of pure drinking water,” said Sahera Bewa, 58, of Char Madhya Kadamtala under ​​Kurigram Sadar upazila.
“Since the toilet is unusable now, we are compelled to use banana tree rafts as makeshift toilets in the open. This is embarrassing but we have no alternatives,” she added.
Jariman Begum of Char Bhagabatipur village paints a similar picture.
All 65 families in her village are facing the same ordeal. They are forced to use flood water for drinking and daily chores due to a lack of alternatives.
“The water is contaminated, but what can we do?” said Jariman’s husband, Suruj Ali. “There is no other source of drinkable water here.”
HEALTH RISKS AND RELIEF EFFORTS
Dr Monjur-e-Murshed, Kurigram’s civil surgeon, warned of the dangers of consuming contaminated water, including the spread of diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and dysentery.
He said 80 medical teams have been deployed to the affected areas.
While water levels in the Brahmaputra and Dudhkumar rivers have receded slightly, they are still 44cm and 10cm above danger level respectively, said officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board.
Relief efforts are underway, with authorities distributing water-purifying tablets among flood victims.
TRAGEDY STRIKES
The floods have also claimed a life. Eight-year-old Sabbir Ahmed drowned in floodwater in Musallipara village at Ulipur upazila of Kurigram.
Confirming the matter, Ataur Rahman, UNO of Ulipur, said they have urged residents in flood-affected areas to closely supervise children to prevent similar tragedies.
The ongoing flood has affected 1,35,939 people in Kurigram and around 25,000 people in Lalmonirhat, The At
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