We must stand by flood-affected people

Bangladesh is a riverine country and a flat deltaic region shaped by rivers. Floods have become somewhat of a curse for Bangladesh. The rivers have lost their navigability, and water bodies, canals, and wetlands are filled to the brim. Everywhere, there are signs of commercial exploitation by land grabbers. On the other hand, the source of water for haors and low-lying areas comes from Assam and Meghalaya in India. During the monsoon in Ashar, the heavy rainfall in those regions results in a rush of water downhill. There is a long-standing history of politics surrounding the flood protection embankments in haor areas like Sylhet, Chittagong, and Netrokona. Negligence in the construction of these embankments is not new, and this time the neglect has reached a critical level. During the first flood, the boro crop fields were submerged, leaving farmers destitute. After everything was lost, people returned home, and no one gave the embankments further thought. In this crisis of foresight, villages and people are now submerged in floodwaters. There are severe shortages of food, drinking water, and medicine, yet water is everywhere. Reaching people through the rush of water has become a challenge. Alongside significant losses in life and property, now lives are in danger.

Every year, the people of this country have to battle against floods. In less than a month, the northeastern region of the country has been flooded again. Due to the heavy rainfall and water rushing down from India, several districts have faced severe floods. Major rivers are breaking down as a result of these floods, leaving millions of people trapped and living in inhumane conditions. With children, elderly men and women, furniture, poultry, and livestock, people are in deep trouble. There is also a rising fear of waterborne diseases in many areas, particularly for children, women, and the elderly, whose suffering has reached its peak.

In such a situation, as human beings, we have a great responsibility. Just as it is the duty of others to care for a family member when they are sick or unable to earn a living, the whole of humanity, especially society as a whole, is like one big family. The flood-affected and distressed are one of our own. Therefore, those of us who are capable have a solemn duty to stand beside the flood victims and provide them with comprehensive help and support. Offering assistance to the flood-stricken or those in distress is not only a social responsibility but also a humanitarian obligation. Helping those in need and extending a hand of assistance to those in trouble is the true essence of humanitarian values. When a portion of the country is suffering from floods, and helpless people are stranded, it is the duty of the wealthy and capable in society to stand by the flood victims and offer support.

The floods have caused significant damage to many families’ homes, properties, and livelihoods. Numerous roads, shops, homesteads, crops, and orchards have been wiped out. It’s easy to imagine the immense grief and suffering that the flood-affected people are going through. Therefore, it is essential to promptly initiate relief operations, provide dry food supplies, financial aid, and medical services to those in flood-affected areas. The damage caused by the floods is indescribable and cannot be easily rectified. What is needed now is extensive help for the flood-affected people to help them stand back on their feet. They need to be helped comprehensively to regain stability. The floods bring immense hardships to people's lives, not just during the flood but long after the water recedes. People continue to endure suffering, often falling ill from waterborne diseases. The shortage of clean water becomes acute. Since ponds are polluted by dirty floodwaters, there is a shortage of usable water. Diarrheal diseases break out on a large scale. In this situation, helping flood victims becomes our moral responsibility. If capable people across the country step forward, it will not be difficult or impossible to address this crisis. With our collective efforts, these distressed people can quickly return to their normal lives, something we firmly believe. Right now, the flood victims need dry food, clean water, and necessary medicines.

For those who have lost everything to the floods, we must extend a hand of help. For those whose homes have been destroyed, they need new homes. Farmers whose crops have been ruined need help restarting their agricultural work. Similarly, poultry and fish farmers who have suffered losses need support to restart their businesses. Banks must be encouraged to provide easy loans so that affected people can resume their livelihoods. If ten million people in the country each donate just one hundred taka for the flood-affected, that would instantly amount to a billion taka. If each person donates one thousand taka, that would instantly raise ten billion taka. So, we must undertake such initiatives now.

Today, the top businessmen, industrialists, and wealthy individuals in the country have much to do for those in distress. If everyone contributes according to their capacity, we can quickly build a large relief fund. By properly utilizing this fund, we can bring these distressed people back to a better life. Therefore, alongside government initiatives, the private sector must step forward to take similar initiatives. Now is the time to help the people of this country. The corporate groups in the country must participate in relief efforts as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Various industrial groups, private banks, daily newspapers, and other organizations must initiate relief fund drives. If they take the initiative, the people of this country will enthusiastically support and contribute to these efforts. Now is the time for initiative and leadership. It’s essential to remember that this is a national problem.

Those who have lost all their property and are barely surviving because of the floods are just like you and me. We must remember that in the future, we could find ourselves in a similar situation. Just as they need our help today, we may need theirs tomorrow. Therefore, in the interest of humanity, we must stand by them. We all know that Bangladesh is a poor country with 180 million people. Many people here live in poverty. Floods, droughts, cyclones, and tidal surges have become our constant companions. Every few years, these disasters come back in cycles. Therefore, we must learn to survive by facing nature's adversities.

Considering the present circumstances, we must stand beside the people, regardless of party or affiliation. In Bangladesh, some of the most significant floods in memory occurred in 1966, 1977, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1998, 2004, and 2007. Of these, the floods of 1998 caused the most destruction. In that flood, most of the country was submerged. Many people died trapped in floodwaters. A large number of people also died from food shortages and various diseases. The main reason for this flood was the large volume of water flowing from upstream. Without building some carefully planned embankments in areas with high river water pressure, these catastrophic floods will continue to occur. The changing climate is causing floods to occur prematurely. If we do not build strong embankments to protect the haor areas, the cries of people will pierce the sky again and again.

Considering the past, the government, as well as the entire nation, should come forward to support the flood victims regardless of party or affiliation. The suffering of people in many parts of the country is beyond imagination. In such times, standing by the flood-affected people has no alternative. If we all work together to distribute aid and rescue those in need, a humanitarian catastrophe can be avoided. If we all extend a hand, this crisis can be overcome more easily. So, let us stand by the flood victims in the interest of humanity.

Raihan Ahmed Tapadar: Researcher and columnist