Two minor boys drive a raft on their house yard on Thursday as floodwater engulfs vast areas in Jatrapur union in Kurigram. — New Age photo

Hundreds of flood victims who lost their houses cry for relief and shelter as they are living under the open sky on roads almost starving when water level of many rivers continued to increase flooding more areas.

New Age reporters from districts, including the worst hit area such as Lalmonirhat, Jamalpur, Kurigram and Sirajganj, reported that more areas were flooded in the districts while river erosion became acute this time.

State minister for disaster management and relief Dr Enamur Rahman, at a briefing on Thursday, said that the flood affected 18 districts and eight people of four districts so far died in the flood that affected nearly 2.46 million people.

Among the victims, four died in Jamalpur, one each in Sunamganj, Lalmonirhat, Sylhet and Tangail.

He said that 4,850 tonnes of rice, Tk 19.1 million in cash, 35,822 packets of dry food were distributed among the victims and Tk 2.1 million for baby food and Tk 2.1 million for fodder were also distributed.

He said that the flood situation in some district might get better in the next 24 hours, but might deteriorate in nine districts, including Sirajganj, Tangail, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Faridpur and Shariatpur.

Enam claimed that 30,705 victims and 56,031 cattle took shelter in 544 centres opened in 12 districts.

In Lalmonirhat, Teesta, Dharla and Brahmaputra river erosion has taken a serious turn in 18 upazilas as the river sees a sudden rise in water level due to the onrush of water from the upstream in the last 15 days.

The worst affected villages are 53 unions as over 473 dwelling houses and a vast tract of croplands were devoured by the river in the last 24 hours.

The erosion-affected people have taken shelter on different roads and other people’s houses.

‘We have not even received a grain of relief in two weeks,’ said Mofazzal Hossain, chairman of Rajpur union parishad, Lalmonirhat.

Most of the unions of Fulbari, Chilmari and Roumari upazilas in Kurigram remained out of reach by road.

In Gaibandha’s Sundarganj, three of its eight unions are completely under water, with all their roads damaged and eroded.

Three unions of Rangpur’s Pirgachha are out of reach as road communication has collapsed.

In Nilphamari, four of the right unions of Dimla upazila could not be reached without boats.

Several hundred riverside people, carrying placards inscribed with different slogans held a human chain at Ramna village in Chilmari Kurigram demanding steps to protect their villages from the dreadful erosion.

‘Now we are under the open sky as our houses were washed away by floodwater from the River Teesta,’ said flood victims Amela Bewa and Apia Bewa of Khuniyagachh village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

Officials said that only 15 shelter centres out of 44 accommodated over 19,000 victims, which was insufficient.

A letter has been sent to the ministry concerned seeking more relief assistance as per requirement, said Uttom Ray, UNO of Sadar upazila.

Rangpur division is the worst-hit where over 6 lakh of total 14.56 lakh flood-hit people live in eight districts.

Water Development Board said that 473 houses were devoured by rivers in the eight flood-affected northern districts between Wednesday and Thursday.

Sabed Ali, 66, a flood victim at Sardob village in Kurigram Sadar upazila, said individuals and NGOs previously offered them help, none of them came forward to help us this year.

New Age Kurigram correspondent reported heavy rainfall and onrush of upstream water swelled all the rivers which flow in Kurigram district flooding 56 unions of the district marooning more than two lakh people in the second spell.

All the roads, haats, bazars, offices and residential areas of Rajibpur upazila in Kurigram district went under 3-4 feet water. In addition, Baleamari border haat under the upazila also remained under 3-5 feet floodwater. All the areas in three unions, including education institutions are flood affected.

Rice cooking problem and scarcity of pure drinking water were acute in these areas, Hasina Begum, member of Mohonganj union council said.

Rajibpur Upazila chairman Akbar Hossain Hero said that 95 per cent people of the upazila are affected. He urged all organisations to extend their support.

Three persons, including two children, drowned in flood water.

They are Baku Miah, 20, of Chilmari who died when he went to catch fish; Lamia, 2, daughter of Alamgir Hossain of Motherganj village; and Mimi Khatun, 7, daughter of Abdul Kaiyum of village Brammotor under Nageswari upazila.

Flood scenario in Sirajganj deteriorated as water level in the River Jamuna increased 14cm in the last 24 hours, reported our Sirajgnaj correspondent, quot