Staff Reporter:
With the recession of floodwater, diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases have been spreading sporadically among the flood-affected people in 13 upazilas of Sylhet, intensifying the sufferings of the flood victims.
Life in the flood-hit areas is gradually returning to normal with floodwaters receding, but victims are mainly suffering from diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, jaundice, typhoid, and other waterborne diseases.
In the last eight days, around 9,826 people in the flood-affected areas have been affected by diarrhoea, RTI, eye infections, skin diseases, and other waterborne diseases.
According to sources at the Department of Health, a total of 394 medical teams are working in the region, with a focus on floods and the subsequent period.
Deputy Civil Surgeon of Sylhet Janmjoy Dutta said the upazila health complex, community clinic, and health sub-centres are ready to tackle waterborne diseases after floods.
“We are trying to deliver water purification tablets to various places. The union-based team is also working to this end,” he added.
Meanwhile, a mobile water treatment plant has been set up in Gowainghat.
Since 21 June, fresh water has been supplied to various unions every day. Upazila health and family planning officials are working to provide healthcare in the areas.
Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Kishloy Saha said free medicines along with around 3 lakh water purification tablets have been distributed so far.
Acting Deputy Director of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Sudhin Chandra Das said people in the flood-affected areas are at risk of various waterborne diseases, including diarrhoea, jaundice, skin diseases, and typhoid. All preparations have been made to ensure their treatment.
According to assessments, there have been damages to roads, fisheries, and agriculture totaling Tk779.6 crore.
Signs of damage are emerging as water has started receding from roads in most areas of the region. Around 250 kilometres of roads in the city are flooded, causing an estimated loss of Tk300 crore.
According to the LGED Sylhet district, a total of 160 km of roads in 13 upazilas of Sylhet have been damaged due to floods. The financial amount is around Tk119 crore.
Sources from the Roads and Bridges Department said that 40 kilometres of roads in the district have been damaged, causing a loss of around Tk85 crore.
The Sylhet Agricultural Extension Department informed that around 98,653 farmers have been affected by crop losses in 13 upazilas of the district. The damage amounts to Tk275.21 crore.
Sources at the District Fisheries Directorate said the flood has caused Tk44.86 crore worth of damage to fish resources. Around 21,111 ponds and fish farms in the district were washed away by the floodwaters.
However, the responsible officials of various departments said that the amount of these damages would increase.
