House # 59/A Satmasjid Road

Dhanmondi Dhaka 1209 Bangladesh

• 88 02 9111314 On request + 88 02 819111/810789

• DELUGE IN BANGLADESH 1998

Downward trend in the flow of major rivers that we started noticing from later part of the second week of September'98, i.e., after more than two months of flooding of 2/3rds of Bangladesh, continued thereafter uninterrupted until all the 46 (forty-six) representative points of rivers in country's four river-basins showing water-flow below danger-point, declining further and reaching such water-level point by the end of the month as commensurate to normal situation. 47 (forty-seven) out of total 52 (fifty-two) affected districts reached pre-flood status by 30th September'98 in the wake of complete recession of flood-water. Affected people therein have however not yet been restored to pre-flood level; because it would take months before they can reach that stage following substantial rehabilitation to be undertaken by all concerned including Government and the Non-Government Agencies.

This year's flood (term `Deluge' is possibly a better term in view of its duration, area coverage, devastation and projected recovery period) came all over the country with all its menacing traits in practically three phases : initiating early July'98, inundating many places for the second time in mid-August, and making things worse in rounding-up phase in early September'98. The entire country has witnessed a harrowing state of affairs for more than two months, round about one-sixth population, 20,000,000, had been through miserable condition, at least another 10,000,000 had been de-established from normal course of living / set of things on a variety of parameters, both Establishment and the non-government agencies had to concentrate a better part of their time, energy and resources on ways and means to address catastrophe, civil society including all shades of social work groups as well as trade organizations, clubs, professional bodies, etc., even many philanthropic souls at inidividual level, rose to the occasion to serve the distressed with food, shelter, medicare, water supply and sanitation, both government and non-government agencies had to shelve their regular operation for the time being, and academic proceedings were under moratorium in most of the affected areas.

Victims vis-a-vis Inundation

With the recession of flood-water throughout the country, people have almost completed coming out of marooned / water-logged situation and feeling a sigh of relief from the predicament of more than two months. This is definitely what all the affected were eagerly waiting for amidst severest inundation of the century. As we know, this year's flooding, in fact a Deluge, has surpassed the devastating one in the recent past, 1988 Flood, in terms of practically all the distressful indicators, viz., (i) duration, (ii) number of districts / thanas inundated, (iii) size of the population affected, (iv) death reported, (v) food-deficit status (increased by 100%), (vi) development infra-structure destroyed, (vii) regular social / administrative / economic / academic activity / operation dislocated, (viii) volume of people rendered penniless, (ix) distress-sale, and (x) over-all economic recovery cost. So, getting respite from the staus quo for week after week has definitely come as a welcome relief.

PRIP - DPIS Continuation Sheet

But despite this, time of agony is not yet over and more distressful moments / abject uneasiness lies ahead for many people and many occupations. In the post-recession period, people have started encountering challenges like repairing their houses, starting cultivation, finding employment, and procuring food for their family. Even the well-off ones are to face tough time finding all his crops damaged and being left with no savings as such. People in general would be direly needing (i) seeds, fertilizers, etc., (ii) other agri-inputs like cows, ploughs, (iii) employment support and (iv) housing assistance. Many thousands, mostly small farmers, near landless, landless and those leaving below poverty-line, would have to be provided food support for quite sometime. Measures would be required to arrange scope of work for them.

In the background of substantial loss of two varieties cereal, Aus and Aman, and confinement of lakhs of people in water-logged condition preventing any economic activity worth the name for over two months, both the on-farm peasants and off-farm workers and labourers are faced with almost penniless situation. According to one report, there has been 30% loss of Aus paddy and 40% Aman paddy, and it would take sometime before economic activity picks up following recession of flood water. All these would lead to migration from rural area towards towns in search of employment and need for survival. This trend may however be arrested to a great extent by massive rehabilitation measures by concerned authorities in the form of (a) feeding program, (b) agricultural rehabilitation, and (c) employment support.

Farmers in the affected districts, particularly in the northern part, had started sowing paddy seeds following recession of water from farmland. They were putting in their best, both male and female, even working after night-fall in order to catch up with time; because applying local variety Aman-seed to the soil had to be completed preferably by September.

Situation is however not favourable for all and sundry. Even the well-off are hard-pressed in view of the damage and dislocation of normal life for more than two months. But, it is the small and the medium category farmers who have been placed in utter plight due to financial crisis. They are finding it tough to procure bank loan associated with various formalities and being compelled to approach traditional village lenders accepting higher interest rate and / or negotiating advance paddy sale. Even, distress sale has also been reported (parting with valuable and dear possessions for money to purchase seeds and pay for other agricultural exercises) from various places.

Although status of Diarrhoea has not gone out of hand and stock and supply of ORS, IV Fluid and other relevant medicines does not seem to be inadequate at the moment, incidence of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases is increasing fast; case of more people being attacked with diarrhoea has been reported from many districts including Brahmanbaria, ChapaiNawabganj, Gaibandah, Kurigram, Mymensingh, and as well as from the capital city flood centres.

Aggravation of diarrhoeal incidence can be substantiated from the fact that while number of total patients in August'98 throughout the flood shelters in Dhaka city was 9,686, the first week of September'98 figure shows 5,207 patients and 4,803 in the second week. Another point needing mention here is that 60% of the patients has been children.

In the capital itself, many agencies are addressing this disease including ICDDR,B, all the general hospitals in the city and clinics as well as Dhaka City Corporation (DCC). DCC has been operating 10 (ten) Health Centres in its ten Areas to take care of patients attacked with diarrhoea and other diseases; situation is reported to be worst in Area # 1 & 2, where as many as 1305 and 1520 diarrhoea patients respectively have been treated as at Sept.18th.

PRIP - DPIS Continuation Sheet

Apprehending an out-break of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases, Health Ministry has approached the Government for an additional Tk=410,000,000.00 to carry out post-flood health program.

Following the fast recession of flood-water from the inundated areas in the capital city after more than two months, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has chalked out its plan to do the needful to help the city-dwellers feel better and comfortable. It has sought cooperation of all concerned including socio-cultural organizations and the NGOs as well as the youth and the students in its `cleaning drive' billed as the top priority. DCC has hired extra 500 cleaners and sweepers to its existing strength of 5,500 and pressed into service additional 14 trucks to the existing fleet of 85, as a measure to clear up fast the heap of garbage piled up over past weeks at different points of the city. Repair of city's damaged roads and mosquito eradication are going to be the second and third priority respectively, and DCC authority is moving accordingly.

Enclosure around north-east Dhaka

1998 Deluge has left an out-right / crystal clear lesson for the Capital. In view of the defenselessness of its north-eastern part, the city-dwellers in that part had to face serious after-math of the flooding and all concerned are of the opinion of quicker encircling of the area through dike / embankment, keeping in mind of course, and taking proper care of, the negative aspects of structural solution. As a matter of fact, Prime Minister has already directed the concerned government authority to start immediately dredging river Balu and construct 60-km Ring Road from Tongi to Demra, with provision for rail-way, as a measure to shield Dhaka city from the curse of inundation (north-eastern part of the capital is vulnerable to flooding).

She has also asked to initiate repair of damaged city road quickly through food-for-work and test relief schemes. Further, PM has directed to take into due consideration the flood level at the time of construction work on the national highways.

As the water-level started falling, river-bank erosion has been taking a serious turn in some areas, GOB Water Development Board officials reported. Erosion has been reported from Kurigram, Gaibandah, Pabna, Sirajganj, Gopalganj, Faridpur, Mymensingh, Tangail and Comilla.

Chars (Sand-bars) in Jamuna

Another very striking phenomenon after the decline in the water-level relates to appearance of CHARS (sand-bars) in the rivers. Many vast tract of Chars have reportedly been showing up in river Jamuna in the wake of recession of flood-water and decline of water-level in the river. GOB-WDB has attributed this phenomenon to extensive siltation this year. To be specific, few large and many smaller Chars had started coming up out of the river-bed near Sirajganj district only two days after water-level in Jamuna dropped below danger point on September 15th. Appearance of the Chars as reported is going to hamper the navigability in the river-route and might reportedly lead to unusual / untimely flooding as well.

Status of Cereal

Over-all food deficit for 1998-99, yearly normal as well as flood-induced, has been estimated around 4.30 million M/T. Government of Bangladesh, already in possession of a stock of 700,000 M/T, has been taking measures accordingly to plug the short-fall.

PRIP - DPIS Continuation Sheet

WFP has announced provision for 355,000 M/T food-grains for flood victims of Bangladesh, with its Country Representative appealing for more aid. This quantity would be in addition to previous WFP program of arranging 542,000 M/T mainly for development activities through food-for-work.

USA has already committed 400,000 M/T for the victims, and government has requested for another 300,000 M/T.

Another 110,000 M/T would be provided by other donor countries and agencies.

Meanwhile, consignment of wheat from abroad has already started arriving in Chittagong port, where defense personnel are expediting both loading and unloading.

WFP in Dhaka has expanded its operation in Bangladesh by opening a sub-Office in Chittagong Port city in order to (a) monitor arrival and despatch of food grains, (b) cooperate with the government agencies in managing the large consignment of food aid shipment and (c) ensure quicker movement of food to the needies.

Government has accorded consent to request from the NGO sector for purchasing food-grains from government go-down as per government price. This would enable the NGOs making better utilization of their resources, and also spare them the hassle associated with such purchase.

(mostly according to Govt. of Bangladesh sources)

Districts / Thanas / Unions under inundation : 52 / 366 / 3,000+

(Total : Districts-64 / Thanas-490 / Unions-4,451)

Worst affected Districts / Thanas : 32 / 250+

Inundation area coverage : circa 100,000 sq. km. or 66%+ of the whole country

Death reported : 1,050 (1,200+ according to unofficial estimate)

Death out of Diarrhoea and other diseases : 306

People affected throughout the country : 30,000,000+

People rendered homeless : 25,000,000 (approx.)

People in temporary shelters throughout the country : 1,050,000 (approx.)

People in temporary shelters in the capital city : 225,000+

Flood shelters in operation throughout the country : 2,700+

Flood shelters in operation in the capital city : 300+

Attack of Diarrhoea and other diseases : 310,500+

PRIP - DPIS Continuation Sheet

FLOOD IMPACT INDICATORS (contd.)

Live-stock loss : 26,000+

Complete Crop damage : 575,000+ Ha

Home-stead damaged / destroyed : 900,000+

Home-stead damage (partially) : 1,300,000+

Educational Institutions closed : 14,000 (approx.)

Educational Institutions damage : 20,000+

Tube-well damage : 300,000 (approx.)+

Road inundated : 16,000 Km

Road damage (including rural kutcha and pucca road) : 19,500+ Km

Bridge / Culvert / Sluice Gate collapsed / washed away : 7,000 (approx.)

Embankment damage : 4,500+ Km

Embankment ravaged : 500 Km (approx.)