Over 20,000 families marooned in low-lying areas of Pabna

Over 20 thousand families have been marooned as swelling Padma, Jamuna and Boral rivers have flooded around a hundred villages of five upazilas in Pabna.

Many of the affected areas are also facing massive river erosion.

Now the Jamuna river is flowing 54 centimetres above the danger level, said Md Abdul Hamid, executive engineer of Water Development Board's (WDB) Bera division.

Over 40 thousand people of four unions in Bera upazila have been affected by flood but till now the people under the flood protection embankment areas are safe, said Asif Anam Siddiquee, the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO).

Sujanagar UNO Md Rawshan Alam said the four unions have been affected for immense waterlogging while several hundred families in the affected areas have been marooned. Besides, people of the affected areas are facing the threat of massive river erosion, he added.

In Sujanagar upazila, the Padma devoured over five hundred homesteads at Gupinpur, Borkhapur, Raipur, Gulchandpur Haat-malifa, and Khalilpur areas in last few weeks, said WDB engineer Abdul Hamid.

The erosion also hit Notakhola, Ghopsilonda, Modhupur, Munshiganj, Paikandi and Panchakola areas of Bera uapzila under the district, he said, adding that WDB workers are dumping sandbags in the erosion-hit areas.

Meanwhile, due to the rise of water level in the Jamuna, the Boral river has swelled up, flooding many areas in Chatmohar, Vangura and Faridpur upazilas in the Chalanbeel region over the week, said Md Johurul Islam, executive engineer of Pabna WDB.

"At least five unions of the three upazilas have been flooded. Over a hundred villages in low-lying areas of five upazilas of the district have been flooded," he said.

During this correspondent's visit to the affected areas, the flood affected people said they are facing problem due to shortage of food and drinking water but they are yet to get any support from the district administration.

"We cannot move as the entire village has been flooded. But we are not getting any relief," said Md Sabuz Hossain of Hugladangi village in Sujanagar upazila.

Contacted, Pabna district relief and rehabilitation officer Md Rejaul Karim said, "Low-lying areas and riverside villages have been flooded but the areas inside flood protection embankments are still safe. The district is yet to be declared a flood-hit area. But the situation is at a vulnerable stage and we are keeping watch on the situation."

Asked about relief work, the official said, "Till now there is no relief for the flood-hit people in Pabna. We are distributing rice under VGF [vulnerable group feeding] programme, which will continue till July 28. We are giving priority to the affected areas."