Flood in north: 49 villages in need of drinking water

About 35,000 people of 49 villages in Kurigram's Roumari have been suffering from shortage of drinking water and food since flood hit the upazila on June 11.

For many people, the only option now for using a stove to cook food is putting it on a bed. A large number of people are surviving on cooked food provided by their relatives, said flood victims.

The overall flood situation in Roumari remained unchanged yesterday as the Jinjiram, Kalur and Dharani rivers were flowing above the danger levels.

According to the upazila administration, crops on 592 hectares of land and a 57-kilometre stretch of road were submerged by the flooding while 37 schools were closed.

Tariqul Islam, 48, a fish farmer from Tingharipara village, said he incurred a loss of around Tk 10 lakh as flood water washed fish away from his four ponds. Like him, many other local fish farmers suffered financials losses.

Azizur Rahman, upazila project implementation officer, said they have distributed dry food worth about Tk 3 lakh among the flood victims.

In Pabna, the Jamuna has been swelling for a few days creating fear among the locals that it may flow above the danger level soon.

Low lying areas in Sirajganj and villages adjoining the Chalan Beel have gone under water as the water levels in the Jamuna, Fulzore, Karatoa, Boral and some other rivers keep rising.

Our correspondents S Dilip Roy and Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu contributed to this report.