Overview of Flash Flood, April 13, 2017

Heavy rainfalls as well as onrush of water from the upstream Meghalaya hills in India have led to the

inundation of a vast areas of croplands of Haors and low-lying areas of the northeast. Flood started on

28th March affecting six districts (Sylhet, Moulavibazar, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Netrokona and

Kishoreganj) in the north east region. Rising water overflow and breeched embankment in many places

and inundated vast areas of croplands. It destroyed nearly-ready-for-harvesting boro rice in about

183,795 hectors areas.

Flash Flood Situation, April 13, 2017

Prepared in: April 13, 2013 Source: DDM Reports and Dailies

Impact of Flash Flood

This flood caused huge damage to crop production. According to Ministry of Agriculture, the loss of

Boro rice is estimated to be about 800,000 tons.

Flow Chart of impact:

Detailed impact scenario:

GoB Response in Flash Flood, 2017

The Government’s assistance to the flood affected people included cash grant, food aid and

other materials. DDM report on Government response is given below:

Districts Response

Sylhet Demand note for 500 MT. G.R. rice and BDT. 1,000,000 G.R. cash is sent.

Sunamganj 60,000 M.T, of G.R. rice, BDT. 255,000 G.R. cash and 185 bundle of Corrugate iron sheet is stored in Sunamganj district

Habiganj Demand note for 50 MT. G.R. rice and BDT. 100,000 G.R. cash is sent.

Kishoreganj Demand note for 100 MT. G.R. rice and BDT. 200,000 G.R. cash is sent.

Netrokona Demand note for 100 MT. G.R. rice and BDT. 500,000 G.R. cash is sent.

Moulavibazar Demand note for 50 MT. G.R. rice and BDT. 100,000 G.R. cash is sent.

Source: DDM Reports, April 05, 2017

Location Impact on Agriculture (Hectare)

Source

District Upazila (No.)

Netrokona 09 18,880 DDM report, April 05, 2017

Kishoreganj 06 23,300 Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Kishoreganj (Dhakatribune.com) April 08, 2017

Habiganj No. of affected upazila not available

13,500 Agricultural Authorities of Habiganj

Sylhet 13 No damage information is found

-

Moulavibazar No. of affected upazila not available

12,800 DDM report, April 01, 2017

Sunamganj 02 100,000 Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office in Sunamganj (Dhakatribune.com) April 08, 2017

Total 183,795

Rising river water overflowed and breached embankment

183,795 hectare cropland inundated1

Farmers lost potential crop – 735,180 MT rice2

Day labors lost 220,554,000 person day work3

Food security decline

Coping: farmers - use savings, low interest loans, deplete assets/sell product at lower price and reduce consumption of non-essential products4

Coping: day labor - use reduction in essential consumption, help from friends, and high interest loans4

1 Source- Reports of DDM, April 01, 04 and 05, 2017, national dailies (the daily Star, Dhaka Tribune, Daily Janakantha, Samakal, April 08, 12 and 13, 2017. 2 Estimated production of 4 T per hectare as suggested by the Ministry of Agriculture 3 Estimated 120 person/day for harvesting boro rice from one hectare of crop field (Consultation with local farmers). 4 Final Draft National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) of Bangladesh 2015

Recommendations

In April 12, 2017, Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) in collaboration with Water Rights Forum organized a roundtable on this issue at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital. In the roundtable, farmers from different haor (a type of wetland) areas suggested that the riverbeds were silted and the initiatives to reconstruct the embankment were most inadequate. Also, they suggested that the crisis was manmade, because, it occurred, largely, due to the financial mismanagement and corruption leading to failure reconstruct the embankments on time. The proposed that the government should supply through open market at BDT 10 per kg in the affected regions and continue the assistance till the next rice harvest. Government of Bangladesh can play a proactive role in this issue. It is also been suggested that, the flooded haor areas can be opened up for fishing on basis of the demands of affected people.

Conclusion

Floods in these haor areas cause tremendous loss to the boro farmers. Whatever the reason is, focuses should be on helping the affected people to cope with the losses,

Media Coverage

Flash flood in the Haors may worsen rice price hike Traders believe the high price of rice is set to continue after recent flash floods in the northeastern wetlands destroyed more than 200,000 hectares of mature Boro paddy.

See details: http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2017/04/08/flash-flood-haors-may-worsen-rice-price-hike/

Paddy production hit by flood in the Haors … Floods have occurred in at least four of the five districts in the region. In Moulvibazar, which experiences the most rainfall in Bangladesh, at least 12,800 acres of Boro paddy went under water. Our correspondent Saiful Islam reported that farmers were seen collecting peanuts, pumpkins and yams from the inundated fields.

See more: http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2017/04/08/paddy-production-hit-flood-haors/

Fresh areas flooded in Netrakona Flood situation in Netrakona continues to deteriorate as fresh areas of farmland were inundated yesterday, causing immense sufferings to thousands of farmers.

Due to washing away of two more embankments-'Gachikhai' and 'Joypur' embankments in Khaliajury upazila, over 90 percent area of the upazila has gone under water, said Mohammed Tofael Ahmed, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Khaliajury.

See details: http://www.thedailystar.net/country/fresh-areas-flooded-netrakona-1388464

হাওড়ে কৃষড়কর সর্বনাশ … এড়কর পর এক র্াাঁধ ভেড়ে যাড়ে। নতুন কড়র খালিয়াজুলর-ভসানাতিার র্াাঁধ ভেড়ে যাওয়ায় আরও লকছু জলির ধান ক্ষলতগ্রস্ত হড়র্। উপড়জিার র্াইড়র সুনািগঞ্জ ভজিার লিত্র আরও েয়ার্হ র্িা িড়ি। See more: http://www.dailyjanakantha.com/details/article/260723/%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%93%E0

April, 08, 2017

April, 09, 2017

April, 08, 2017

http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2017/04/08/flash-flood-haors-may-worsen-rice-price-hike/http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2017/04/08/flash-flood-haors-may-worsen-rice-price-hike/http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2017/04/08/paddy-production-hit-flood-haors/http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2017/04/08/paddy-production-hit-flood-haors/http://www.thedailystar.net/country/fresh-areas-flooded-netrakona-1388464http://www.dailyjanakantha.com/details/article/260723/%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%93%E0%A7%9C%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%B7%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B6http://www.dhakatribune.com/

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হাওোঞ্চড়ির দুড়যবাগ ও করণীয় হাওড়ের কৃষড়কর সর্বনাশ হড়য় ভগি। ভদড়শর হাওোঞ্চি লসড়িট, সুনািগঞ্জ, লকড়শারগঞ্জ ও ভনত্রড়কানার কড়য়ক শ’ হাওড়ে র্ছড়রর একিাত্র ফসি ভর্াড়রা কাাঁিা অর্স্থায় অকাি র্নযায় পালনর লনড়ি তলিড়য় ভগড়ছ। ভযখাড়ন প্রায় লতন িাখ টন ধান উৎপাদড়নর আশা লছি তার সর্টাই লনিঃড়শষ হড়য় কৃষড়কর িাথায় হাত। একলদড়ক সর্ ফসিডুলর্র ক্ষলত, কৃষড়কর ভগািা খালি, অপরলদড়ক সারা র্ছড়রর ভখাোলক ও সংসাড়রর যাতর্ীয় খরড়ির দুলিন্তা। তার ওপর আরও আড়ছ ফসি করার জনয িাখ িাখ টাকা ঋড়ণর ভর্াঝা।

See more at: http://www.dailyjanakantha.com/details/article/260767/%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%93%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9E%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%97-%E0%A6%93-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A3%E0%A7%80%E0%A7%9F#sthash.1i7dhiCo.dpuf

April, 09, 2017

April, 08, 2017

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Declare haors as 'affected areas' … Addressing a roundtable at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital, they also alleged that contractors who got the job of building embankments from Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) did not complete their work in due time and, in most cases, they were involved in corruption. Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) in collaboration with Water Rights Forum organised the roundtable. The flood-affected residents sought loans on easy terms for farming and urged that the government declare the areas surrounding haors as “affected areas”. On an average, some 75 percent crops in haor areas of Sunamganj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Netrakona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria went under floodwater in the last few days, causing damage to crops worth around Tk 6,000 crore, claimed Reza, president of Paribesh O Haor Unnayan Shangstha. He said 90 percent crops in Sunamganj have gone under floodwater and farmers in those areas are facing a severe crisis as they did their cultivation with loans from different NGOs. See more at: http://www.thedailystar.net/city/declare-haors-affected-areas-1390495

Haor floods manmade, claim activists Participants in a roundtable discussion on the recent flash floods in the haors (wetlands) in north-eastern districts alleged that it was a manmade disaster created by the collapse of faulty flood barriers to protect lives and crops. They also demanded punishment for the officials and contractors responsible for building the flood barriers. Summing up the discussion at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) yesterday, rights activist Sultana Kamal said, “This disaster was due to the lack of planning and coordination by the government departments concerned and the substandard work by the contractors who built the flood barriers.” See more at: http://www.theindependentbd.com/printversion/details/89910

April, 13, 2017

April, 12, 2017

http://www.thedailystar.net/city/declare-haors-affected-areas-1390495http://www.theindependentbd.com/printversion/details/89910