Advance preparation crucial to address flood threat

After a prolonged heatwave, continuous rainfall has brought relief to urban life, but it has also raised the risk of flooding in river and haor regions. This year's heavy rains have made Rabindranath Tagore's song "Abar eshechhe Ashar akash chheye" (Again, the sky is covered in Ashar) especially poignant. Every year, due to the impact of the monsoon climate, floods occur in the country during such times and situations. In the Bengal delta, situated at the foothills of the Himalayas with thousands of rivers, this is an inevitable natural process. Particularly, the heavy rainfall in Meghalaya and Assam in northeastern India flows through the river channels, causing floods here. Sylhet and Sunamganj districts are the most affected.

Already, continuous heavy rainfall and hill runoff have caused the water levels of the Teesta, Dharla, Dudhkumar, Surma, Someshwari, and Surma rivers to flow above the danger level. The overflow of the Someshwari, Surma, and Old Surma rivers has caused flooding in the low-lying areas of Netrokona and Sunamganj. Additionally, there are fears of flooding in several areas of Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts.

Last June, due to heavy rainfall in Sunamganj and Meghalaya, India, the low-lying areas of Sunamganj and Netrokona districts were flooded within a day on June 16. At that time, the roads, electricity, mobile network, and internet services in these two districts were disrupted, isolating them from the rest of the country. Several hundred thousand people took shelter in high-rise buildings and relief centers. According to government records, the month-long flood affected 3 million people in the districts, caused 15 deaths, and damaged 50,000 homes. Therefore, in anticipation of a devastating flood this year, preparations for flood management, rescue operations, and plans for relief and rehabilitation must be determined in advance. Although the current government has a good reputation for flood management, there is no substitute for caution.

In the past, we have observed a lack of coordination among disaster management, relief ministries, organizations, local administration, and politicians in effectively handling floods. Therefore, despite the government providing adequate funds, relief, and medicine, the lack of coordination has made it difficult to deliver the desired services to the flood victims.

What we need are specific measures to ensure that help reaches the most affected areas promptly. This includes ensuring adequate supplies for relief and medical teams, sending them to shelters, and restoring electricity as quickly as possible.

It is crucial to remember that proper distribution of government relief materials is essential. In case of any mismanagement, negligence, or irregularities, immediate action must be taken. Additionally, waterborne diseases usually become prevalent in flood-affected areas, so it is necessary to ensure the supply of sufficient medicines and water purification tablets.