Date: Wed, 19 Jul 95 07:48:21 EDT
From: incident@vita.org (Disaster Information Administrator)
To: event@vita.org
Subject: Bangladesh: Floods DHA-08
BANGLADESH-FLOODS
DHA-GENEVA INFORMATION REPORT NO.8
19 JULY 1995
SITUATION
1. THE OVERALL SITUATION IN THE FLOODED AREA AROUND THE
BRAHMAPUTRA BASIN (FROM CHILMARI TO ARICHA) HAS STARTED IMPROVING.
THERE HAS BEEN NO INFORMATION OF INUNDATION OF NEW AREA. THE
RAINFALL HAS ALSO REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY ALTHOUGH MONSOON IS QUITE
ACTIVE.
2. IN THE GANGES BASIN, ALTHOUGH THE RISING TREND OF THE RIVERS
HAS SLOWED DOWN AT ALL POINTS, THE SITUATION IN THE LOWER PART OF
THE BASIN I.E. MUNSHIGANJ, MADARIPUR, SARIATPUR AND FARIDPUR WILL
CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE SLOWLY AND NO IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED SOON.
3. IN THE MEGHNA BASIN, THE SITUATION IN THE LOWER PART MAY
DETERIORATE FURTHER IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. NEW AREAS MAY BE
INUNDATED IN COMILLA, NARSHINGDI AND BRAHMANBARIA DISTRICTS. THE
OVERALL SITUATION MAY START IMPROVING WITHIN NEXT 3-4 DAYS PROVIDED
NO INCESSANT RAIN OCCURS.
4. NEW AREAS OF THE CAPITAL DHAKA AND ITS ADJOINING AREAS LIKE
NARAYANGANJ AND SAVAR HAVE BEEN ENGULFED BY FLOOD WATER AS THE
WATER LEVEL OF BURIGANGA AT DHAKA, TURAG AT MIRPUR, KALIGANGA AT
TARAGHAT AND KALIGANJ/DHALESHWARI AT NARIANGANJ ARE FLOWING ABOVE
DANGER LEVEL. THIS IS DUE TO PASSING OF EXCESSIVE WATER FROM THE
UPPER BRAHMAPUTRA TOWARDS THE DOWNSTREAM. THE INCREASE WILL
CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 2-3 DAYS THUS FURTHER INUNDATING NEW AREAS.
5. THE UPDATED DAMAGE REPORT (AS OF 0800 HRS OF 17 JULY)
RECEIVED FROM THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTRE OF THE MINISTRY OF
DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND RELIEF/DISASTER MANAGEMENT BUREAU IS
PROVIDED AS FOLLOWS: TOTAL NUMBER OF DISTRICTS AFFECTED: 34
(INCLUDING 2 MUNICIPALITIES); TOTAL NUMBER OF THANAS AFFECTED:
195; TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES AFFECTED: 2,202,381; TOTAL NUMBER
OF POPULATION AFFECTED: 12,625,006; CROPS DAMAGED: (A) FULLY:
908,068 ACRES AND (B) PARTLY: 847,849 ACRES; HOUSES DAMAGED: (A)
FULLY: 207,843 AND (B) PARTLY: 732,174; TOTAL DEATHS: 66; TOTAL
DEATH OF CATTLE: 9,819; DAMAGED TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: (A)
FULLY: 364 AND (B) PARTLY: 2,796; ROAD DAMAGED: (A) FULLY:
2,546 KMS AND (B) PARTLY: 12,919 KMS; EMBANKMENT DAMAGED: 596
KMS; AND CULVERTS DAMAGED: 1,325.
5. THE UNITED NATIONS DISASTER MANAGEMENT TEAM, IN THE PRESENCE
OF EXPERTS FROM THE BANGLADESH METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT AND THE
FLOOD FORECASTING AND WARNING CENTRE, REVIEWED THE OVERALL
SITUATION. IT WAS STATED THAT THE EARLY FLOODS IN THE MEGHNA AND
BRAHMAPUTRA BASIN WERE THE RESULTS OF HEAVIER THAN NORMAL MONSOONAL
RAIN ALL OVER THESE BASINS COMBINED WITH ONRUSH OF WATER FROM
INDIA. THE GANGES BASIN (RAJSHAHI DIVISION) WILL EXPERIENCE SIMILAR
RAINFALL IN NEXT 3-4 WEEKS. CONSIDERING THE RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION
PATTERN, IT WAS PREDICTED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A SYNCHRONIZATION OF
BRAHMAPUTRA AND GANGES FOR A SHORT DURATION BUT ITS CONSEQUENCE MAY
NOT BE SO DISASTROUS.
NATIONAL RESPONSE
6. THE GOVERNMENT HAS FURTHER INCREASED THE SUPPLY OF RELIEF
ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND RELIEF.
NGOS (PARTICULARLY CARE, RDRS, MSF) AND UN AGENCIES (MAINLY UNICEF
AND WHO) HAVE ALSO GEARED UP ASSISTANCE.
7. THE OVERALL HEALTH SITUATION IS NOT ALARMING AND NO OUTBREAK
OF DIARRHOEA/MALARIA HAS BEEN REPORTED BY WHO OTHER THAN SPORADIC
OCCURRENCES. WHO HAS INCREASED THE SUPPLY OF ORS, WATER PURIFYING
TABLETS AND BLEACHING POWDER. ADDITIONAL 5 MILLION WATER PURIFYING
TABLETS HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY WHO.
8. THE ASSOCIATION FOR DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES (ADAB) HAS MADE AN
ASSESSMENT OF THE OVERALL SITUATION. ON THE BASIS OF THE REPORTS OF
ASSESSMENT, RELIEF DISTRIBUTION WORKS HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE
NGOS WORKING UNDER ADAB AUSPICES. IN ITS ROLE AS THE MAIN
COORDINATOR, ADAB IS EXPECTED TO FURTHER REVIEW THE SITUATION
SHORTLY.
7. AS YET, NO REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE
GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED. DHA/UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE
CONTINUES TO MONITOR SITUATION.
TELEPHONE NO. +41-22-917-1234
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ONLY: TELEPHONE NO. +41-22-917-2010
DESK OFFICER: MR. Y. FUKASAWA, DIRECT TELEPHONE NO.
+41-22-917-3131
PRESS TO CONTACT: MS. M. MOULIN-ACEVEDO, DIRECT TEL.
+41-22--917-2856
TELEX: 414242 DHA CH
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