Get ready to mitigate flood damage

Warning that the flood situation may worsen, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked ministers, top civil servants, and armed forces personnel to take all-out preparations for mitigating damage caused by flood.

At a meeting of National Disaster Management Council at the Prime Minister's Office yesterday, Hasina instructed Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque to arrange higher ground for Aman seedbeds if the floods prolonged.

She added that Aush paddy on around 26,000 hectares was damaged by the floods and that they would have to be more careful about Aman paddy.

The agriculture minister informed the meeting that Aman seedbeds on 400 to 500 acres were damaged by the floods, said sources.

The PM said farmers who have lost summer vegetables to the floods would get government assistance during winter crops season.

Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said the prime minister issued directives on being prepared to tackle more floods in the days ahead as the weather was not favourable.

She asked the agriculture minister to go for floating rice varieties if the floods hit again, said the cabinet secretary.

"We were afraid that the floods could damage the food storages, which have a capacity of 7,500 tonnes, in Sunamganj."

Hasina is expected to visit the flood-affected areas in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrakona today.

She will hold a press conference at 11:00am on Wednesday, said a release from the PMO's Press Wing yesterday.

It did not mention what she would talk about a day after her visit to the flood-hit districts.