DHAKA: At least 5 folks have died and greater than 100,000 stay stranded as devastating floods, triggered by heavy rains and upstream torrents, proceed to ravage northern Bangladesh, officers stated on Sunday (October 6).
In Sherpur, one of many worst-hit northern districts, water ranges in main rivers have risen, submerging new areas and displacing hundreds of households.
Local authorities worry widespread harm to agriculture, with crops and farmland, notably rice paddies, dealing with potential devastation. Many homes and streets are submerged underneath a number of meters of water, chopping off villages and leaving residents in determined want of rescue.
“I’ve by no means seen floods like this in my life,” stated Abu Taher, a district resident.
Army personnel, utilizing boats and helicopters, joined the rescue operation, delivering emergency provides and evacuating folks trapped by the floods.
Bridges collapsed and roads have been submerged, making it troublesome for native authorities to achieve the affected areas.
“Our precedence is to evacuate folks to secure shelters and supply them with fundamental requirements,” stated Sherpur district administrator Torofdar Mahmudur Rahman.
He stated one other decomposed physique was discovered, suspected to have floated from India.
The low-lying nation of 170 million folks has suffered quite a few floods this 12 months, underscoring its vulnerability to local weather change. A 2015 evaluation by the World Bank Institute estimated that 3.5 million folks in Bangladesh are vulnerable to annual river flooding, a threat that scientists say is worsening on account of world local weather change.
As water ranges proceed to rise, issues are rising in regards to the long-term affect on the area’s agriculture, notably rice crops. If floodwaters do not recede quickly, the financial price to farmers may very well be extreme.
Adding to the issues, the climate bureau has forecast additional rain within the coming days, elevating fears of additional flooding.
August floods in japanese Bangladesh, which killed greater than 70 folks, precipitated an estimated $1.20 billion in harm, in accordance with a research by the Center for Policy Dialogue, a number one suppose tank.
The United Nations and its companions have launched a $134 million humanitarian enchantment to supply pressing assist and assist to communities affected by the continued floods and cyclones in Bangladesh.
