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Nothing to do except learning from haor disaster

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Update: 2017-04-23 05:00:50
Nothing to do except learning from haor disaster Water Resources Minister Advocate Anisul Islam Mahmud at secretatirat

DHAKA: Expressing despair about the unexpected natural disaster in the haor areas, Water Resources Minister Advocate Anisul Islam Mahmud said there is nothing much to do except taking lessons from the investigation about the cause of the untimely torrent.

He made the remarks in a press briefing at the secretariat on Sunday noon (April 23).

Mahmud said, “Water level in the Surma River had rose 8.1 meter and 5 meter in Sunamganj within four days from March 29. There are 36 polders in the haor region with an average height of 6.50 meter but water topped over 8 meter. We couldn’t have prevented the flood even though the constructions of dams were completed.”

The minister suspects that climate change is the reason behind the extreme flooding. He said there was no such overflow like this during this time of year in the last 20 years. Approx 1100 mm rainfall in Meghalaya’s Cherrapunji, 450 mm in Sylhet and 500 mm in Sunamganj were recorded in the last 9 days of March.

The minister also pledges to look in to the allegation of corruption in the construction work of the dams.

About crop damage, Mahmud said one-sixth of the total Boro production is produced in the haor region. Normally 10 percent of that crop gets destroyed; however, about 100 percent crop got destroyed this year.

BDST: 1445 HRS, APR 23, 2017
AP/SMS

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