Preparing for a major flood
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
BANGLADESH has been lucky for the last several years in succession as it did not face a major flood in the wet seasons. But warnings have been received that this lucky respite from floods could be over. The monsoon season has arrived early this year and heavy rains have been experienced in many places of Bangladesh in the last fortnight. Already, parts of the country in the north and south-east are experiencing floods of varying intensities. The rivers in these regions have swelled from the rain water and excess water coming from the upper reaches in India. Continuous rainfall was recorded in the Indian territories for the last two weeks and the consequent run-offs are leading to a build up of flood waters within Bangladesh.
The water levels in all the main rivers of the country have risen and are very near to the danger level. It is only a matter of some days before the rivers go on spate. Waters of the Brahmaputra, the Ganges and the Meghna are on the rise and similar swelling of the rivers are noted in the river basins in the south-east region of the country. The heavier than normal flows in these rivers, along with heavy and incessant rains , these developments are helping the creation of large-scale flooding although there are about two months to go before expecting the end of the rainy season. Thus, there is also expert speculation of imminent flood in some parts of the country to be followed by even a countrywide one.
A part of the preparation is early receiving of meteorological data from all sources. Specially important in this connection would be receipt of regular information about the state of the rivers on the Indian side. If the Indians are not extending this information already to Bangladesh, then immediate effort must be made by the Bangladesh authorities to get the same by opening channels of communication with the Indian authorities in this regard.
It would be also prudent to start warning people all over the country, particularly in the likely vulnerable areas, to start getting organised on their own to face a flood. It was seen in the past that such early warning had great value in enabling people to reduce their individual sufferings and in helping them to relocate as much as possible assets and resources to safe areas or to create even conditions within homesteads to remain there during the duration of a flood.
Besides, the district administrations need to be advised to gear up to face a flood. The preparation would involve drawing up of contingency plan for evacuation of people, organising of flood shelters where people can be given emergency relief, provisioning of emergency relief supplies including foodgrains, supportive arrangements for carrying out flood-related duties, in the event of necessity, by units of the army, ansars and other forces, etc. The sooner these steps are taken the better for the people and the economy because devastating floods that struck Bangladesh in the past led to colossal losses. But the impact of a major countrywide flood can indeed be made bearable by adequate pre-planning. The rivers flowing past Dhaka are also rising fast which creates the imperative of doing whatever can be done on an emergency basis to prepare the city's drainage system to cope with flooding.
The water levels in all the main rivers of the country have risen and are very near to the danger level. It is only a matter of some days before the rivers go on spate. Waters of the Brahmaputra, the Ganges and the Meghna are on the rise and similar swelling of the rivers are noted in the river basins in the south-east region of the country. The heavier than normal flows in these rivers, along with heavy and incessant rains , these developments are helping the creation of large-scale flooding although there are about two months to go before expecting the end of the rainy season. Thus, there is also expert speculation of imminent flood in some parts of the country to be followed by even a countrywide one.
A part of the preparation is early receiving of meteorological data from all sources. Specially important in this connection would be receipt of regular information about the state of the rivers on the Indian side. If the Indians are not extending this information already to Bangladesh, then immediate effort must be made by the Bangladesh authorities to get the same by opening channels of communication with the Indian authorities in this regard.
It would be also prudent to start warning people all over the country, particularly in the likely vulnerable areas, to start getting organised on their own to face a flood. It was seen in the past that such early warning had great value in enabling people to reduce their individual sufferings and in helping them to relocate as much as possible assets and resources to safe areas or to create even conditions within homesteads to remain there during the duration of a flood.
Besides, the district administrations need to be advised to gear up to face a flood. The preparation would involve drawing up of contingency plan for evacuation of people, organising of flood shelters where people can be given emergency relief, provisioning of emergency relief supplies including foodgrains, supportive arrangements for carrying out flood-related duties, in the event of necessity, by units of the army, ansars and other forces, etc. The sooner these steps are taken the better for the people and the economy because devastating floods that struck Bangladesh in the past led to colossal losses. But the impact of a major countrywide flood can indeed be made bearable by adequate pre-planning. The rivers flowing past Dhaka are also rising fast which creates the imperative of doing whatever can be done on an emergency basis to prepare the city's drainage system to cope with flooding.