3. - usaid

year these areas received from 19 to 23 inches in 48 hours. Late in July
and early in August the situation worsened as flood waters f'rom the Indian
States of Assam and West Bengal entered East Pakistan. Some 25 major
rivers overflowed and engulfed surrounding areas. Finall-y, all 17 districts
in East Pakistan were affected. Chittagong was cut off fkom the rest of
the district, all connecting roads being under water. Transport was suspended
for 5 to 7 days between Chittago& and Sylhet ~ist,ricts. It was
reported that more than half the population of Chittagow; district had
either taken shelter in camps or were gathered together along roadsides
at railway tracks. Everywhere it was the same story of washed away crops,
damaged or destroyed huts, collapsed bridges and breached roads. There
was nothing to distinguish the rivers from the roads. Boats had to ply
on most of the roads in the countryside as the only means of transport.
Crop damages ranged from a 10% loss in some districts to 80% in others.
Many people were killed, thousands injured and almost a million left
homeless. They lost their livestock, crops and personal possessions.
Many sought refuge by living in boats while others clung to trees and
rooftops where they were
often plagued by snakes
that had also gone up
there to keep dry.
Tubewells were severely
damaged and drinking
water became an acute
problern .
Octobei? Floods
In the fall of 1968,
new floods struck East
Pakistan as a result of
heavy, continuous
rains that also deluged
the norStheastern portion
of? India, Nepal,
Sikkim and Bhutan. In
addition to the rain,
flood waters poured
down from west Bengal
Road under water in municipal area of DinaJpur in India as they had in
the Ju1.y floods causing
rivers to burst their
banks in East Pakistan. The October floods, while severe, were not as
widespread as those that occurred in July. About 3,000 squ.are miles in
five northern districts were inundated affecting about 2-1/'4 million people.
There were at least 49 people killed. Crop loss or damage involved some
300,000 acres. All types of communications links in the flood areas were
seriously impaired. There was about 75% damage to thatched houses and
20% to permanent housing.