Recent incessant heavy rain falls and onrush of water from Meghalaya hills in India inundated vast areas of croplands of Haors and low-lying part in Bangladesh. It started on 28th March 2017 and gradually affected six districts (Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Netrokona and Kishoreganj). Rising water overflows and breaks embankments in many places and inundates the whole Haor Vasin. Destroy nearly-ready-for-harvesting boro rice. Along with crop fields many of hoar dwellers lost their houses partially or fully as well as there were loss of fisheries and domestic animals and birds. The estimated loss of crops is to be 879,360 MT. Such types of huge loss and damages are not possible to offset by hoar dwellers alone.
To reduce the stress and hardship situation of the flood affected people, People’s Oriented Program Implementation (POPI) take initiatives for an emergency relief distribution and rehabilitation program with the financial assistance of Stromme Foundation-Bangladesh.
On 24 May 2017, POPI had started its relief distribution program in three Upazillas e.g. Mohongonj, Khaliazuri and Madan of Netrokona district through distributing relief packages ( 4 kg Rice, 1 kg Pulse, 1 kg Oil, 3 kg potato and .5 kg salt) and cash of BDT 200 among 1308 households using 11 distribution points (union parisad premises, POPI established Community Resource Centre). POPI intends to conduct rehabilitation program during the period July- December 2017.
In Mohongonj, UNO Mr. Mr. Mehedi Mahmud Akhond- inaugurated the distribution program where Maghan-Siyadar Union Parisad chairman Mr. Abu Bakor Siddique and Deputy Director Md.Khalilur Rahman from POPI central office were also present. Law enforcement members from local police station provided all kinds of supports at the time of distribution. In Khalizazuri , Upazilla chairman Mr. Samsuszaman Talukder Suyeb inaugurated the distribution program where Upazilla Vice Chairman Mr. Pervez Ahmed Juwel and Program Manager POPI-SEEDS were also present.
In Madan, the program was inaugurated by Mr.Rafiqul Islam, Chairman Fatehpur Union parisad . In Teoshree union, relief was distributed by Union parisad chairman Mr. Fakruddin Ahmed . Along with others project coordinator Md. Shah Mohammad Nazmul Haque monitored the overall activities. All Program Officers, Union coordinators, Field facilitators, and Community service providers, Teachers, Songlap Girls and CBO members played a crucial role to distribute the relief. Local community people as well as Govt/LGI officials extended their most sincere thanks to POPI as well as Stromme Foundation-Bangladesh for standing beside flood vulnerable people with this type humanitarian assistance in thus difficult time.
