The Padma has begun to fall at Daulatpur in Kushtia, but the hardship of the flood-hit has not eased with it. The Water Development Board recorded a drop of about 15 centimetres over three days. The flooding has eased slightly; the suffering has simply changed shape — no safe drinking water, waterborne disease spreading, and snakes and insects washed into homes.

Abdul Majid of Bakmari village in Ramkrishnapur union said the water had gone down without lifting the burden. "The water has come down a little, but our suffering has not eased one bit; we have fallen into a new danger. Poisonous snakes and insects are floating everywhere, inside the house and outside," he said. With neighbouring villages under water, families are walking long distances to fetch drinking water.

Rahima Khatun, a homemaker from Udaynagar village in Chilmari union, said diarrhoea, dysentery and skin disease began spreading household to household as soon as the water receded. She called for health camps and food support in the flood-hit areas.

The recent flood inundated a wide stretch of low-lying land along the Padma in the upazila, damaging crops on more than 1,000 hectares. About 50,000 people in Chilmari and Ramkrishnapur unions are still marooned, and many say neither medical help nor government relief has reached them.

Dr Touhidul Hasan Tuhin, the upazila health and family planning officer, said waterborne illness and insect attacks rise as soon as floodwater drains away. Two mobile medical teams are working in the char areas alongside local health workers, enough antivenom has been stocked against snakebite, and distribution of water purification tablets, saline and medicines is being stepped up.

UNO Anindya Guha said the administration is on highest alert for the health risks that follow a flood. Public health and water resources staff are working with the medical teams on sanitation, safe water and cattle feed. Feed matters here: with the fields still under water, char households cannot cut grass for their animals.

On Wednesday morning, the Kushtia battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh distributed rice, lentils, oil, flour and salt to 500 affected families in the Banglabazar-Udaynagar and Bhagjat areas of Chilmari union. Brigadier General Mahmudul Hasan, commander of the BGB's south-west region, said the force would continue humanitarian support until the flood situation returns to normal.

Source: Samakal (Daulatpur, Kushtia correspondent)