The villagers are having a miserable life and passing days half-fed as croplands are under water now after loss of Aus and Aman crops.

The affected villages include Deara, Pakuria, Khanpara, Kashia-danga, Khetrapara, Nathpara, Gazipara, Bamankhali, Malopara, Sanapara, Kushodanga, Mathpara, Jelepara, Kumerpur and Joynagar.

Most areas of the villages are under 3-4 feet water now. The villagers are almost isolated from other areas because boat is the only means of communication.

But the authorities concerned are not taking any action to release the stagnant flood water and mitigate their sufferings, local people alleged.

Many of the affected people have left homes and taken shelter on high lands. They are living under the open sky.

Local people say the floodwater can not recede from the villages due to unplanned construction of embankments and kutcha roads for shrimp cultivation.

Added to the food crisis, diarrhoea and other water borne diseases have broken out in the villages due to lack of drinking water.

During a recent visit, some people told this correspondent that over 125 people, most of them children, have been attacked with diarrhoea.

Local people and political leaders said they appealed for immediate government help and relief, but nothing has been done.

If food and drinking water is not supplied immediately, diarrhoea will spread, they said.

According to Kalaroa Upazila Nirbahi Officer Laxman Chandra Devnath, 1,08,770 people in the upazila were affected by flood this year. Aman crops worth Tk. 4.37 crore, shrimps worth Tk 14.75 crore, and other fishes worth Tk 7.77 crore were damaged by the recent flood in the area.

The UNO said government has sanctioned 158 metric tonnes of rice for the affected people. But this is too inadequate, local people said.