Flash Flood Situation, April 19, 2017 Overview of Flash Flood, April 19, 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 160,170 hectors areas (details information in table 1). Prepared in: April 13, 2013 Source: DDM Reports and National 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: Coping: farmers - use savings, Farmers lost low interest loans, deplete potential assets/sell product at lower crop – price and reduce Rising river 640,680 MT consumption of non-essential 160,170 water rice2 products4 Hectare overflowed Food security cropland and breached decline inundated1 Day labors Coping: day labor - use embankment lost reduction in essential 192,204,000 consumption, help from person day friends, and high interest work3 loans4 Detailed impact scenario: Table 1: Impacts of flash flood, 2017 Location Impact on Source District Upazila (No.) Agriculture (Hec.) 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 13,500 Agricultural Authorities of Habiganj not available Sylhet 13 Damage - information not available Moulavibazar No. of affected upazila 12,800 DDM report; April 01, 2017 not available Sunamganj 11 91,690 Report on damage of Boro crops due to excessive rain, flash flood and embankment collapse, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Sunamganj; April 04, 2017 Total 160,170 As noted in the table above, Sunamganj district has been affected most extensively. The Department of Agricultural Extension of Sunamganj has published the details of crop damage in the district (see table below). Table 2: Detailed impact of flash flood in Sunamganj district Upazila Total area under Damage of Remark boro cultivation standing crop in (Hec.) boro fields (Hec.) Dharmapasha 31,800 18,610 Ajarkhali, Shoytankhali, Marardair, Haldirbodh, Ulashkhali and Balrampur embankments were damaged Sadar 16,200 10,300 Tolakhalu and Teukhali embankment were damaged Tahirpur 18,400 7,610 Alamkhali, Doronbadh and Mahalia were affected South Sunamganj 22,275 5,560 Shallardair embankment was damaged Jagannathpur 20,207 12,190 Burakhali, Tanguar, Betauka, Falgida, Demakhali and Katagang embankment collapsed and water logged 1 Source- Reports of DDM, DAE 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 Table 2: Detailed impact of flash flood in Sunamganj district Upazila Total area under Damage of Remark boro cultivation standing crop in (Hec.) boro fields (Hec.) Dirai 28,000 6,740 Kadirpur, Tufankhali, Baram, Tangni and Boishakhi embankment were damaged Shalla 22,000 2,120 Joaria embankment were damaged Doara Bazar 13,680 6,930 Chatak 14,240 9,830 Water logged due to damage of Lakhsmibaul embankment Jamalganj 25,190 6,010 Water logged due to damage of Kalibari Point Biswamvarpur 11,090 5,790 Gondamara and Jiragtaherpur embankment collapsed Total 229,082 91,690 Estimated total loss of potential rice crop 354,840 MT; and in monetary terms estimated loss amounted to BDT 10,645.2 million Source: Department of Agriculture Extension, Sunamganj, April 04, 2017 Also, according to the SOS form complied by Upazila Project Implementation Officer, Mohanganj, Netrokona, (SOS form, April 04, 2017), in the upazil, total 18,000 families have been affected due crop damage in 8,500 hectare of boro land. 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: Table 3: Government response in flash flood, 2017 Districts Response Sylhet 500 MT. G.R. rice and BDT. 1,000,000 G.R. cash have been supplied in response to the Demand Note Sunamganj 60,000 M.T, of G.R. rice, BDT. 255,000 G.R. cash and 185 bundle of Corrugate iron sheet have been stored in Sunamganj district Habiganj 50 MT. G.R. rice and BDT. 100,000 G.R. have been supplied in response to the Demand Note Kishoreganj 100 MT. G.R. rice and BDT. 200,000 G.R. cash is sent. 100 MT. G. R. rice have been supplied in response to the Demand Note Netrokona 100 MT. G.R. rice and BDT. 500,000 G.R. cash is sent. BDT 1.0 million have been supplied in response to the Demand Note Moulavibazar 50 MT. G.R. rice and BDT. 100,000 G.R. cash have been supplied in response to the Demand Note Source: DDM Reports, April 05 and 07, 2017 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. Recommendations ALRD 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. Although, the people in the affected district currently may have some food stock from the last year’s harvest, food security is likely to decline rapidly in next few weeks’ time. Therefore, it is essential that, GoB starts large scale food GR food distribution as well, intervene through Cash for Work to compensate for the loss of employment of the agricultural labors. 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 caused huge damage to boro crop. Since the area significantly contributes to the national food production, overall food security of the country may experience negatively as a consequence. Whatever the reason is, focuses should be on helping the affected people to cope with the losses. Media Coverage April, 08, 2017 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/ April, 08, 2017 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 April, 09, 2017 হাওড়ে কৃ ষড়কর সর্বনাশ … এড়কর পর এক র্াাঁধ ভেড়ে যাড়ে। নতু ন 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 %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%B6 April, 09, 2017 হাওোঞ্চড়ির দুড়যাব গ ও করণীয় হাওড়ের কৃ ষড়কর 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 কৃ ষড়কর িাথায় হাত। একলদড়ক সর্ ফসিডু লর্র ক্ষলত, কৃ ষড়কর 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, 08, 2017 April, 13, 2017 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.