Floods are the most common natural calamity of Bangladesh, caused by heavy rain and overflowing rivers.

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Floods in Bangladesh (250 Words)

Introduction

A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land which is usually dry. Bangladesh is a land of rivers, and flood is its most common natural calamity. Almost every year, during the rainy season, large parts of the country go under water and the people suffer greatly.

Causes

Floods in Bangladesh are caused by several factors. The country is a low, flat delta crossed by hundreds of rivers. During the monsoon, heavy rainfall combines with huge volumes of water rushing down from the hills of neighbouring lands. The rivers cannot hold so much water and overflow their banks. The silting up of riverbeds and the lack of proper drainage make the situation worse.

Effects

The effects of floods are terrible. Crops, houses, roads and bridges are destroyed, and cattle are swept away. People lose their homes and food, and after the water goes down, water-borne diseases like cholera and diarrhoea break out. A severe flood may cause famine and great loss of life.

Remedies

The damage caused by floods can be reduced. Strong embankments and dams should be built along the rivers, the riverbeds should be dredged regularly, and reservoirs should be dug to hold excess water. Early warnings and quick relief can save many lives. With careful planning we can lessen this age-old suffering.

Floods in Bangladesh (400 Words)

Introduction

A flood is the overflowing of a great quantity of water over land that is normally dry. Bangladesh is a riverine country, and of all its natural calamities the flood is the most frequent and familiar. Hardly a year passes without some part of the land being drowned by flood water, bringing untold misery to millions of people.

Causes

There are several causes of floods in Bangladesh. Firstly, the country is a low and flat delta through which hundreds of rivers flow down to the sea. Secondly, during the monsoon there is very heavy rainfall, and at the same time melting snow and rain from the hills of neighbouring regions send down enormous volumes of water into our rivers.

Unable to carry so much water, the rivers overflow their banks and flood the plains. The gradual silting up of the riverbeds, the cutting down of forests and the absence of a proper drainage system make floods more frequent and more severe.

Effects

The effects of a flood are disastrous. Standing crops are destroyed, houses collapse, and roads, railways and bridges are washed away. Cattle and other domestic animals are drowned or swept downstream. People are marooned on rooftops and high ground, suffering from hunger and cold. When the water at last recedes, it leaves behind a trail of ruin, and water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery spread rapidly, adding sickness to starvation.

Remedies

Although floods cannot be stopped entirely, their damage can be greatly reduced. Strong and high embankments should be raised along both banks of the rivers. The riverbeds should be dredged regularly to increase their depth, and large reservoirs and canals should be dug to store and drain away the surplus water. Afforestation, accurate weather forecasting and prompt relief for the victims are also necessary.

Conclusion

Floods have been a part of life in Bangladesh from time immemorial. Yet with modern science, careful planning and united effort, we can control this recurring calamity to a great extent and save our people from its heavy toll of suffering.

Floods in Bangladesh (600 Words)

Introduction

A flood is the overflowing of water that covers a large area of land which is usually dry. Bangladesh is a land of countless rivers, and among all its natural calamities the flood is by far the most common. Scarcely a year goes by without some region of the country being submerged by flood water, and in years of severe flooding the whole nation is thrown into distress.

Causes

Several causes lie behind the floods of Bangladesh. Above all, the country is a low, flat deltaic plain through which hundreds of rivers, great and small, wind their way to the Bay of Bengal. During the monsoon the land receives extremely heavy rainfall.

At the same time, torrents of rainwater and melted snow pour down from the hills of neighbouring lands into rivers like the Padma, the Meghna and the Jamuna. These rivers, already swollen, cannot contain the extra water and burst their banks. The problem is made worse by the silting up of riverbeds, the reckless cutting down of forests, unplanned construction that blocks natural channels, and the want of an efficient drainage system.

Effects

The effects of floods are truly dreadful. Vast stretches of farmland go under water and the standing crops rot away, threatening the country with a shortage of food. Mud houses melt and collapse, while roads, railways and bridges are broken, cutting off communication between regions.

Cattle and other livestock are drowned or carried away by the current. Thousands of families lose their homes and take shelter on embankments, rooftops or in flood centres, suffering from hunger, cold and want of pure drinking water. Worst of all, when the flood water at last drains away, it leaves behind ruined fields and outbreaks of deadly water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery, so that famine and epidemic often follow the flood.

Remedies

Though it is not possible to prevent floods altogether, much can be done to reduce their fury and their damage. Strong, high embankments should be built along the banks of the major rivers to keep the water within bounds. The beds of the rivers should be dredged from time to time so that they can hold and carry more water.

Large reservoirs, canals and barrages should be constructed to store the surplus water and release it gradually. Trees should be planted widely to check the rush of water and prevent erosion, and a modern system of weather forecasting should give people early warning so that they can move to safety in time. When a flood does occur, relief and rehabilitation must reach the victims quickly and fairly.

Conclusion

Floods have plagued the people of Bangladesh since ancient times, and they cannot be wholly done away with. But they need not remain an unmanageable curse. With the help of modern science and technology, sound long-term planning and the united effort of the government and the people, this recurring calamity can be brought largely under control. Then the rivers that now bring so much sorrow may once again become sources of blessing for our beloved land.

Floods in Bangladesh (800 Words)

Introduction

A flood is the overflowing of a great mass of water over land that is ordinarily dry. Bangladesh, watered by innumerable rivers, is truly a land of floods, and of all the natural calamities that visit our country the flood is the most frequent and familiar. Hardly a single year passes without some part of the nation being drowned beneath flood water, and in years of exceptional flooding almost the whole of Bangladesh is plunged into suffering. To the people of this delta the flood is at once a familiar visitor and a dreaded enemy.

Causes

The floods of Bangladesh spring from a combination of natural and man-made causes. First and foremost, the country is a low, flat and youthful delta through which hundreds of rivers, large and small, flow down towards the Bay of Bengal. The land itself lies only a little above sea level, so that any excess of water easily spreads over it.

During the monsoon the country is drenched by very heavy rainfall. At the same time, huge volumes of rainwater and melted snow rush down from the hills of neighbouring regions and swell our great rivers such as the Padma, the Meghna and the Jamuna. Unable to carry so vast a body of water, these rivers overflow their banks and pour across the plains.

Human activities make matters worse. The beds of the rivers have gradually silted up and grown shallow, reducing their capacity. Forests are cut down recklessly, embankments are poorly maintained, and unplanned buildings and roads block the natural flow of water. The lack of an efficient drainage system means that once the water spreads, it is slow to drain away.

Effects

The effects of a serious flood are nothing short of disastrous. Wide stretches of cultivated land are submerged and the standing crops rot beneath the water, so that the country is threatened with a grave shortage of food. Mud-built houses dissolve and fall, and even brick structures are undermined, while roads, railways and bridges are washed away, snapping the lines of communication between one part of the land and another.

Cattle, goats and poultry are drowned or swept off by the current, robbing farmers of their most valuable possessions. Countless families lose their homes and are forced to take shelter on high embankments, rooftops or in flood centres, where they pass their days in hunger, cold and misery, often without pure drinking water. Above all, when the flood at last recedes, it leaves behind a wilderness of mud and ruin, and deadly water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery break out. Thus famine and epidemic frequently follow in the wake of the flood, multiplying the sorrow of the people.

Remedies

Since floods arise partly from the forces of nature, they cannot be prevented altogether; but their fury and their damage can be greatly lessened by wise and sustained effort. Strong and high embankments should be raised along both banks of the major rivers so as to keep the water within its channel. The riverbeds ought to be dredged regularly to deepen them and increase the quantity of water they can carry.

Large reservoirs, barrages and canals should be built to store the surplus water and let it out slowly, and trees should be planted on a great scale to break the rush of water and guard against erosion. A modern network of weather forecasting is needed so that early warnings may reach every village and enable people to move to safety with their families and cattle. Finally, when a flood does strike, relief and rehabilitation must be organized swiftly and honestly, so that the victims do not perish from hunger and disease after the water has gone.

Conclusion

Floods have been the companions of the Bangladeshi people from time out of mind, and they can never be wholly banished from this deltaic land. Yet they need not remain an uncontrollable curse. With the aid of modern science and technology, careful long-term planning, regional cooperation and, above all, the united and determined effort of the government and the people, this age-old calamity can be brought largely under control. If that is done, the very rivers that now bring destruction may again become, as they were meant to be, the givers of fertility, plenty and prosperity to our beloved motherland.