Sherpur flood causes 600C losses in agriculture, fisheries

The recent floods in Sherpur, a northern district of Bangladesh, have caused extensive losses amounting to about Tk600 crore in the agriculture and fisheries sectors, according to official sources.

They said roads and other infrastructures under the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) have suffered a loss of nearly Tk113 crore in damages.

The district office of the Water Development Board has also incurred substantial losses, though an exact figure is yet to be reported, according to the officials.

While the floodwaters began receding on Wednesday, the struggles of the flood-hit communities continue, as the full extent of the devastation becomes apparent.

Waterborne diseases, such as diarrhoea, dysentery and skin infections, have been reported as the affected areas experience an acute shortage of clean drinking water.

However, district Civil Surgeon Dr Jasim Uddin refuted claims of a health crisis, saying that the diarrhoeal situation is under control.

He mentioned that four medical teams, consisting of Army personnel, physicians, and medical students, are currently providing healthcare support to the affected population.

On Saturday, a visit to Pichhlakuri village in Nakla upazila revealed the heartbreaking aftermath of the disaster.

The village, home to around 100 families, including 40 from the Hindu community, suffered widespread destruction of homesteads, possessions and croplands along the Bhogai River.

Members of the Hindu community expressed their grief over the fact that they were unable to celebrate Durga Puja, the largest festival in their religious calendar, as their temples were submerged when an embankment of the Bhogai River collapsed.

Floodwaters still linger in several croplands, hampering recovery efforts.

A one-and-a-half-kilometre road, extending from Pichhlakuri Government Primary School to Tarakanda, was heavily damaged, with over 50 cracks making it nearly impassable.

The deteriorating road conditions have compounded the difficulties in delivering much-needed relief supplies to the flood-affected families.

Ahalla Rani Borman, a 50-year-old resident, described the desperate conditions her community is facing. "We have no food, drinking water, or other essential supplies," she lamented.

Borman claimed that they have only received a small amount of aid in the form of a single packet of hotchpotch and half a kilogram of puffed rice since the floods struck, and many families are enduring days of hunger.

Borman further alleged that no government representatives, including members of the local union parishad, have visited the area to assess their situation or provide support.

Another resident, farmer Badal Chandra Borman, shared his story of loss.

He had planted cucumbers on 10 decimals of land with a loan of Tk10,000, only to see his crops washed away by the floodwaters just three days before harvest.

His estimated losses range from Tk70,000 to Tk80,000. Other crops, including chillies, vegetables, and paddy, were also destroyed. Borman appealed for government assistance to help the victims recover their losses.

Contacted, Sherpur's Deputy Commissioner Torofdar Mahmudur Rahman said that the district administration continues to distribute relief supplies to the affected population.

He added that a list of victims has been prepared and sent to the Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation and that rehabilitation efforts will commence once the necessary allocations are received.

So far, 12 people have lost their lives in the floods, which were triggered by heavy rainfall and the onrush of water from upstream regions.