Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief KM Ali Reza on Wednesday said the ongoing flood situation in the country's South and Southeastern regions is in the improving trend.
"Water of all rivers has already started receding. There is no prediction of heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours," he said at a press conference in the Secretariat in the city Wednesday afternoon.
The official said a total of 31 people have so far died in the devastating flood as the deaths of four more people were reported on Wednesday.
Among the total deaths, 12 were in Cumilla, two in Feni, five in Chattogram, six in Noakhali, three in Cox's Bazar and one each in Khagrachhari, Brahmanbaria and Lakshmipur districts. Besides, two persons are missing in Moulvibazar district.
Reza said as many as 5,822,734 people have been affected by the flood in 528 unions and municipalities under 73 upazilas in 11 districts A total of 1,227,544 families have been marooned in the flood while 540,510 people took refuge at 4,003 shelter centres, he said, adding, a total of 39,531 cattle were also given shelter there.
The official said 619 medical teams are providing healthcare services to the affected people in the flood-hit districts.
Reza said the Ministry has made an additional allocation of Tk 1 crore raising the total cash support to the flood victims to Tk 4.52 crore.
Relief distribution activities from the government and non-government sides are going on in the flood-hit district, he added.
A total of 88,500 packets of relief items, including dry foods, clothes and water, collected by the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement have been sent to the flood-affected areas through Department of Disaster Management (DDM), the official said.
The DDM and coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement are in close cooperation round the clock, Reza said.
Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of the flood-hit areas have been instructed to work in coordination with the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force, Fire Service and Civil Defence, medical teams and other volunteers, he added.
According to the updated information provided by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief on the flood situation, 20,650 metric tons of rice and 15,000 packets of dry food, Tk 35 lakh for baby food and Tk 35 lakh for fodder have been allocated for the 11 flood-hit districts.
It said Feni, Cumilla, Chattogram, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Lakshmipur and Cox's Bazar districts have been affected in the ongoing flood since August 20.
Gumti River is inundating new areas in Burichang and Brahmanpara upazilas of Cumilla district even seven days after flood waters breached its embankment, according to local people on Wednesday.
As of Wednesday morning, though the water level in the Gumti River has decreased, it has been flowing 8 centimeters above the danger mark.
However, floodwaters started receding from some other areas in the Burichang upazila, informed the locals.
Relief supplies for the flood-hit people are still arriving from different parts of the country. But it has become difficult to reach the aids to remote areas due to lack of water transports like boats and ferries.
The flood situation remains unchanged in other upazilas of the district including Nangalkot, Laksam, Monohorgonj, Chauddagram and Barura.
According to the district administration, over 10 lakh people have been stranded by one of the worst floods in decades. Some 78,000 people have taken shelter in 724 shelter centres while 225 medical teams have been providing healthcare services.
