August 2024 Bangladesh floods

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August 2024 Bangladesh floods
August 2024 Bangladesh floods effected areas.svg
Flood affected areas, worst affected areas in dark red
Date21 August 2024 - present
LocationDistricts of the eastern and northeastern regions of Bangladesh
CauseExcessive rainfall, landslides, and sudden water surge from upstream
Deaths27
Displaced5.2 million+

On August 21, 2024, heavy rainfall and the influx of water from India caused a flood situation in the eastern part of Bangladesh. [1] Due to the influx of water from India and continuous heavy rainfall, Feni and Noakhali, along with ten districts of the country, were inundated in one of the worst floods in recent history. [2] Additionally, due to heavy rainfall and excessive rainfall, the lowlands of five districts in the north-east, south-east, and east of the country experienced a short-term flood situation due to the influx of water from upstream.

Contents

Events

19 August

Due to severe flooding in Feni district, power supply to Parshuram, Fulgazi, Chagalnaiya, Sonagazi, and parts of Dagonbhuj upazilas were completely cut off. Additionally, Feni town experienced a power outage from afternoon to night due to waterlogging caused by heavy rainfall. [3]

20 August

According to the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, a flood situation arose, submerging 65 upazilas in the districts of Comilla, Brahmanbaria, Feni, Chattogram, Khagrachari, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, and Sylhet. [4]

21 August

The flood situation in Nangalkot upazila of Comilla deteriorated. Many areas of the upazila were inundated by floodwaters since morning. Millions of people in most areas of the 16 unions and one municipality of the upazila were marooned. Most rural roads and crop fields were submerge. [5]

22 August

At 6 PM, the water flow at the Dalya point was recorded at 51.50 centimeters. The danger level for this point is considered to be 52.15 centimeters. At the same time, the water flow at the Kaunia point was 28.61 centimeters, with a danger level of 29.31 centimeters. Compared to 3 PM, the water flow at this point increased by 0.7 centimeters at 6 PM. [6]

23 August

At 9 AM, the water level of the Gomati River at the Devi Dwara point in Comilla was measured at 8.58 meters, which is 53 centimeters above the danger level. At the same time, the river water was flowing at a height of 12.48 meters at the Comilla point. An analysis of 37 years of data from 1988 to 2024 by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) revealed that the Gomati River had never reached such a high level during this period. [7]

24 August

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center reported that there was no significant rainfall in the past 24 hours in the Indian Tripura border areas of the eastern districts of Comilla, Brahmanbaria, and Feni, as well as in the inner catchment of the Tripura state. The water levels in the upstream rivers continued receded. The flood situation in the low-lying areas of Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Feni, Comilla, and Chattogram districts improved. [8]

25 August

The flood situation in Noakhali has deteriorated drastically due to the upstream water from Feni. The flood-affected areas are crying out for relief, while the markets are facing a food shortage and the victims are overwhelmed by snake infestations. [9] The flood situation in Lakshmipur is deteriorating. The water level, which was at a certain height on Sunday morning (August 25), was observed to have risen further by the evening. [10]

26 August

India has opened all 109 gates of the Farakka Barrage amid the devastating floods currently underway in Bangladesh. These gates were opened on Monday (August 26). As a result, 1.1 million cubic feet per second of water will flow into Bangladesh in a single day. The opening of the dam has raised concerns about further flooding in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India, as well as in Bangladesh. [11]

Cause

Experts believe that the sudden heavy rainfall caused by a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, coupled with upstream water from transboundary rivers, led to the sudden flood situation in the country. [12] Simultaneously, the opening of the dam of the Dumbura Hydroelectric Project in the Indian state of Tripura is also attributed to this sudden flood. [13] Although Indian media reported this, the Indian government later denied it. [14] [15] [16] [17] Bangladeshi locals accused India of releasing water from the Dumbur dam with no warning. [18]

Casualty

Four people died in Comilla due to heavy rainfall and floods. [19] On August 22, one person drowned in Feni. A pregnant woman drowned in a flood caused by a hilly landslide in Akhaura, Brahmanbaria. Two people died in Cox's Bazar. [20] A total of 18 people have died so far in the ongoing floods in 11 districts of the country. In a press briefing held at the Secretariat on August 24 regarding the ongoing flood situation, the Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Md. Kamrul Hasan, informed that 4 people died in Comilla, 1 in Feni, 5 in Chittagong, 3 in Noakhali, 1 in Brahmanbaria, 1 in Lakshmipur, and 3 in Cox's Bazar. [21] So far, 27 people have died in the floods," said the disaster management advisor. "Among them, 10 people died in Cumilla, 1 in Feni, 5 in Chattogram, 1 in Khagrachhari, 5 in Noakhali, 1 in Brahmanbaria, 1 in Lakshmipur, and 3 in Cox's Bazar. [22]

Detriment

Due to hilly landslides from Tripura, India, the water levels of the Titas, Sinai, Buri, Bijna, and Salda rivers in Kasba have increased. As a result, 600 hectares of Aman paddy in Kasba and low-lying areas of various villages have been submerged. [23]

In a briefing on the flood situation on August 22, KM Ali Reza, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, said that at least 2,904,964 people have been affected by the ongoing floods in 8 districts of the country. In 11 flood-affected districts of Bangladesh, 887,629 families are stranded. The number of people affected by the floods is around 4.5 million. So far, 13 bodies have been recovered. [24]

The ongoing floods have severely damaged the country's electricity supply system. Approximately 1 million consumers have been left without electricity due to this flood. A large number of consumers under both Rural Electrification Board and PDB have been deprived of electricity. Due to extensive damage to various machinery and infrastructure of the electricity system, there has been a financial loss of about 85 million taka. [25]

Farida Akhtar, Advisor on Fisheries and Livestock, said that there has been a loss of 2 billion taka to fisheries and livestock due to the floods. [26] Due to the influx of water from Tripura, India, and several days of heavy rain, 104,729 families in 11 districts of the country have been stranded due to floods. And around 5.2 million people have been affected by the floods. On Sunday (August 25) afternoon, Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Kamrul Hasan revealed this information in a press briefing. [27]

Reaction

Internal

The Left Democratic Alliance leaders have accused India of violating international law by opening dams without prior warning. According to international law, an upstream country is supposed to inform a downstream country 72 hours before opening the gates of a dam. However, this time, the Dumbura and Kalsi dams were opened without any prior notice. [28] The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Kumar Verma, informed that the Dumbura dam in India opened automatically, not intentionally. He made this statement in a meeting with the interim government's chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, on the afternoon of August 22. [29] BNP Standing Committee member Hafizuddin Ahmed claimed that India, by unjustly constructing dams on common rivers, has obstructed the natural flow of water. This, he argues, is the reason why people in the country are suffering from floods. [30]

International

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 India–Bangladesh floods</span>

Beginning in May 2022, deadly floods hit northeastern India and Bangladesh. Over 9 million people in both countries have been affected, and around 300 people have been killed.

References

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  2. ↑ "Why did the flood situation worsen so quickly?". Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  3. ↑ "ফেনীতে বন্যায় ৩ লাখ মানুষ পানিবন্দি ও বিদ্যুৎহীন". The Daily Ittefaq . 2024-08-22. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  4. ↑ "হঠাৎ বন্যায় বিপদে ৩৬ লাখ মানুষ". Kaler Kantho . 2024-08-22. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  5. ↑ "কুমিল্লায় বন্যা পরিস্থিতির অবনতি, পানিবন্দি লাখ-লাখ মানুষ". Kaler Kantho . 2024-08-22. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
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  9. ↑ প্রতিনিধি, নোয়াখালী (25 August 2024). নোয়াখালীতে বন্যা পরিস্থিতির অবনতি, খাদ্য সংকটের সঙ্গে সাপ আতঙ্ক. Daily Jugantor (in Bengali). Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  10. ↑ "লক্ষ্মীপুরের বন্যা পরিস্থিতির অবনতি".
  11. ↑ https://www.dailyjanakantha.com/national/news/731149
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  13. ↑ "Tripura Flood | Bangladesh: ভারত ছাড়ল জল! ভাসছে বাংলাদেশ..." Zee24Ghanta.com. 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  14. ↑ ডেস্ক, কালবেলা. "বাঁধ খুলে দেওয়ার বিষয়ে যে ব্যাখ্যা দিল ভারত". কালবেলা | বাংলা নিউজ পেপার (in Bengali). Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  15. ↑ "Amid Rising Tensions, India Denies Opening Dam Gates, Attributes Bangladesh Floods to Heavy Downstream Rainfall". The Wire. 2024-08-22. Archived from the original on 2024-08-23. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  16. ↑ "Tripura dam didn't cause Bangladesh floods: India". the hindu.
  17. ↑ "Were Bangladesh floods caused by India releasing water from dam? GoI says no". Indian Express.
  18. ↑ "Millions in this country are stranded by flooding. Many blame their neighbor". CNN World. 26 August 2024. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  19. ↑ "কুমিল্লায় বৃষ্টি-বন্যা: দুইদিনে ৪ জনের মৃত্যু". The Business Standard (in Bengali). 22 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
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  21. ↑ "বন্যায় ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত প্রায় ৫০ লাখ মানুষ, পরিস্থিতি উন্নতির দিকে : দুর্যোগ মন্ত্রণালয়". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . 24 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  22. ↑ https://www.newsbangla24.com/news/247638/27-dead-in-ongoing-floods-Disaster-Advisor
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  24. ↑ ডেস্ক, কালবেলা (23 August 2024). ন্যা মোকাবিলায় বাংলাদেশের পাশে থাকবে পাকিস্তান. Kalbela (in Bengali). Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  25. ↑ বন্যায় বিদ্যুতের ক্ষতি সাড়ে ৮ কোটি টাকার বেশি. Shomoyer Alo. 24 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  26. ↑ বন্যায় মৎস্য ও প্রাণিসম্পদে দুই হাজার কোটি টাকার ক্ষতি. Shomoyer Alo (in Bengali). 25 August 2024. 282243. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  27. ↑ Rayhan, Ataur Rahman (25 August 2024). বন্যায় ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত ৫২ লাখ মানুষ. Somoy TV (in Bengali). Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  28. ↑ প্রতিবেদক, নিজস্ব (23 August 2024). "ভারত আন্তর্জাতিক আইন লঙ্ঘন করে বাঁধ খুলে দিয়েছে: বাম গণতান্ত্রিক জোট". Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  29. ↑ প্রতিবেদক, নিজস্ব (22 August 2024). "স্বয়ংক্রিয়ভাবে বাঁধ খুলে গেছে, প্রধান উপদেষ্টাকে প্রণয় ভার্মা". Dhaka Post (in Bengali). Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  30. ↑ "অন্যায়ভাবে বাঁধ নির্মাণের কারণেই দেশে বন্যা: হাফিজ". Somoy TV . 22 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  31. ↑ "বন্যার্তদের জন্য ২০ হাজার ডলার অনুদান চীনের". Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 26 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  32. ↑ "বাঁধ খোলার কারণে বাংলাদেশে বন্যা হয়নি, দাবি ভারতের". Kaler Kantho . 22 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  33. ↑ বাংলাদেশের বন্যা নিয়ে ভারতীয় গণমাধ্যমের কটাক্ষ!. Somoy TV (in Bengali). 22 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  34. ↑ ডেস্ক, আন্তর্জাতিক (23 August 2024). "বাংলাদেশে বন্যায় প্রাণহানি-ধ্বংসযজ্ঞে গভীরভাবে উদ্বিগ্ন শেহবাজ". Dhaka Post (in Bengali). Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  35. ↑ "Erdoğan, Bangladesh's Yunus discuss flood disaster, developments". Daily Sabah. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  36. ↑ "Erdogan makes phone call to Prof Yunus | News Flash". BSS. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
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