Staff Correspondent

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief KM Ali Reza today said the ongoing flood situation in the country’s south and southeastern regions is in improving trend.

“Water of all rivers has already started receding. There is no prediction of heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours,” he said at a press conference at the ministry’s conference room in Bangladesh Secretariat here this afternoon.

The official said a total of 31 people have so far died in the devastating flood as the deaths of four more people were reported today.

Among the total deaths, 12 were in Cumilla, two in Feni, five in Chattogram, six in Noakhali, three in Cox’s Bazar and one each in Khagrachhari, Brahmanbaria and Lakshmipur districts.

Besides, two persons are missing in Moulvibazar district.

Reza said as many as 5,822,734 people have been affected by the flood in 528 unions and municipalities under 73 upazilas in 11 districts

A total of 12,27,544 families have been marooned in the flood while 540,510 people took refuge at 4003 shelter centres, he said, adding, a total of 39,531 cattle were also given shelter there.

The official said 619 medical teams are providing healthcare services to the affected people in the flood-hit districts.

Reza said the ministry has made an additional allocation of Taka 1 crore raising the total cash support to the flood victims to Taka 4.52 crore.

Relief distribution activities from the government and non-government sides are going on in the flood-hit district, he added.

A total of 88,500 packets of relief items, including dry foods, clothes and water, collected by the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement have been sent to the flood-affected areas through Department of Disaster Management (DDM), the official said.

The DDM and coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement are in close cooperation round the clock, Reza said.

Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of the flood-hit areas have been instructed to work in coordination with the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force, Fire Service and Civil Defence, medical teams and other volunteers, he added.

According to the updated information provided by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief this afternoon on the flood situation, 20,650 metric tonnes of rice and 15,000 packets of dry food, Taka 35 lakh for baby food and Taka 35 lakh for fodder have been allocated for the 11 flood-hit districts.

It said Feni, Cumilla, Chattogram, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Lakshmipur and Cox’s Bazar districts have been affected in the ongoing flood since 20 August.