DHAKA: Food minister said the government would provide food assistance till April next to the flood-affected people at ‘haor’ areas in northeastern part of the country.

”Thousands of people were affected as flash flood damaged their ‘one and only’ crop badly. So, government decided to provide them foods until next boro production,” Dr. Abdur Razzak also said in a roundtable in the city’s CIRDAP auditorium on Monday.

Centre for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS) organized the discussion on the flash-flood issue. MP Matiur Rahman from Sunamgonj-4 constituency presided over the program.

The government has to dredge rivers apart from increasing the height of embankments in protecting the hoar people from the natural disaster as long-term action, he added. Besides, it is also important to create alternative income sources for the haor people who depend only on boro paddy.

Dr. Abdur Razzak also urged the non-government organizations (NGO) to take initiatives for the vulnerable people besides organizing seminar, campaign and awareness program.

Executive director of CNRS M. Mokhlesur Rahman said about 61 percent of boro were damaged by the last flash flood that comes from hilly area of Meghalaya in April. The loss was estimated at about Tk 1146 crore, he added.

“The affected families are nearly 15 lakh”, he said.

Speakers at the discussion blamed Water Development Board (WDB) for not repairing of embankments in time to protect hoar areas from submersion. They urged the government to take immediate measures in this regard and also to make Hoar Development Board effective.

BDST 1910 HRS, June-21, 2010.
JU/SMS