Last updated on September 2nd, 2024 at 07:35 am
Dhaka – Heavy monsoon rains brought severe flooding across Bangladesh, stranding nearly three million people and killing at least two individuals, officials with the country’s disaster management ministry said. The floods have submerged vast areas, fully or partially destroying homes and infrastructure.
According to Reuters TV, residents in affected regions were seen evacuating by boat and makeshift transportation as knee-deep water enters their homes. The situation grows more desperate by the hour as the levels of water are continuing to rise.
Centre for Flood Forecasting and Warning Issues Alert
The FFWC has warned of further increases in water levels over the next 24 hours, which may even lead to a more critical situation. Heavy rains continue unabated, further increasing the prospect of further flooding and subsequent displacement across the country.
In many places, the road connectivity has been snapped, leaving communities isolated and reducing relief efforts considerably. Disaster management and relief officials are trying to reach the affected areas, which is finding it increasingly challenging as the water rises with every passing minute.
Climate Change and Flooding in Bangladesh
About 3.5 million people in Bangladesh face annual river flooding brought on partly by climate change, which has intensified such disasters, a broad range of researchers and scientists agree.
Controversy Over Flood Causes and International Response
Students in Dhaka held protest rallies late Wednesday, accusing that the floods were compounded by the opening of dam sluice gates in India. The Indian foreign ministry responded that it was “not correct” to blame the floods on water released from the Dumbur dam on the Gumti River in Tripura.
The ministry explained that the floodwaters are coming from large catchments downstream of the dam.
Impact in Tripura, India
Landslides and floods brought on by incessant rains over the past three days have claimed 12 lives in Tripura, Indian disaster management official Suman Deb said.
In this respect, the Indian foreign ministry said that it was critically necessary for India and Bangladesh to work together in cooperation with regard to flood-related challenges along the common rivers to help mitigate the suffering of people across the border.
