A similar percentage is outside any activity by NGOs, and 99 per cent of the poor people in the areas have no training in any vocation other than farm labour. Monga is the pre-harvest period from September to November when there is no work in fields.

These were revealed in a survey done in four districts by Research Initiative Bangladesh (RIB), an NGO. The survey was conducted recently among 1,267 households in the districts.

Another survey made jointly by International Food Security Network (Bangladesh Chapter) and Coastal Development Partnership (CDP) said there are at least 20 lakh such poor people only in Gaibandha and Kurigram districts who are not covered under any NGO activity. They are farm labourers, marginal and landless peasants, housewives, poor widows, children, expectant mothers and flood and erosion victims.

A silent monga has already started in some of the areas, particularly in the shoal areas of the four districts as there is no farm work after tranplantation of Amon seedlings.

The government is yet to start food distribution under its VGF programme.

The surveys said though some local NGOs work in the four northern districts as partners of international NGO Oxfam and Bangladeshi NGO Proshika, the percentage they cover is a microscopic minority of the vast multitude of poor people in the districts, the surveys revealed.

The government also does not have any comprehensive programme to eradicate the recurring monga. Government generally undertakes some periodic development works like reconstruction of roads and food distribution under VGF (vulnerable group feeding), VGD (vulnerable group development) programmes. Food doles under these programmes only help the poor to sustain during hard days but do not create any jobs to help them become self-reliant, the surveys said. The doles are also too inadequate to the needs, and many are left out.

The surveys said monga does not mean crisis of food. But the poor suffer due to loss of purchasing power as they do not have any work during the pre-harvest lean period.

October-November is the most crucial monga period when poor people's food stock is exhausted but farm work is not available. The situation prevails till harvest of Amon crop begins in December.

The monga intensifies when there is a prolonged flood, followed by massive erosion. Poor people in their thousands leave homes for other districts for work.

Loss of Amon crop is common during such prolonged floods in the areas.

The areas worst affected by monga almost every year are Chilmari, Rajibpur, Rowmari and Ulipur in Kurigram district; Aditmari, Hatibandha and Kaliganj in Lalmonirhat; Dimla, Jaldhaka and Keshoreganj in Nilphamari; Baderganj, Gangachara, Kaunia and Pirgacha in Rangpur; and Gaibandha Sadar, Fulchari, Shaghata and Sunderganj in Gaibandha district.

The shoal areas of Gaibandha and Kurigram districts along river Teesta and Brahmaputra basins are typical monga prone areas in the northern districts.

During Monga, poor people sell their labour in advance at Tk 25 to 40 a day against the normal rate of around Tk 90 only to buy food for survival. Marginal farmers sell their Amon crop in advance at almost half the price and take money from moneylenders. Diseases due to intake of unwholesome food and malnutrition are common.

The surveys made some suggestions to tackle the monga. Government policy makers, NGO workers, officials of donor agencies, consultants and researchers should visit the areas during monga to realise its impact on the people and their livelihood.

The government should prepare a comprehensive plan, emphasising setting up of small and medium scale industries, to create employment in the areas. NGOs can take the lead in training people in different job oriented vocations.

There is good scope to change the cropping pattern by introducing short duration HYV paddy, vegetables and other crops. Microcredit by the government's social welfare department and NGOs can encourage backyard gardening, fish culture and other income generating activities like sewing, handicrafts, poultry and livestock rearing.

Like in big cities, government should also sell rise under OMS programme in the areas during monga period, the reports suggested. Farmers in the areas can get fair price of rice during harvest if the government's internal procurement is made effective in the areas.