Teesta washes away over 50 houses

More than 50 houses have been washed away by the Teesta River in two unions of Rajarhat upazila in Kurigram district in the last 45 days.

Meanwhile, floods ravaging Sylhet and Sunamganj districts worsened as water levels of the region's rivers rose further due to heavy downpour and onrush of hilly water triggering immense suffering of the people, report agencies.

UNB reports from Kurigram, heavy rainfall and the onrush of the upstream water triggered the Teesta river banks erosion, rendering many people homeless as more than 50 houses have been washed away.

Hundreds of bighas of cropland, trees, ponds, and mosques have also been affected by the river erosion. People of the area have become helpless as the authorities concerned are yet to take any preventive measures to stop river erosion, said locals.

Only two kilometres of the 43 kilometres river banks have been protected while the rest areas remained unprotected.

As a result, houses, trees, and cropland are washed away every year. Educational institutions, bazars, mosques and temples are under threat of erosion, they said.

Currently, river erosion has taken a serious turn in 6 kilometres areas in Gharialdanga and Bidyananda unions of the upazila.

The Water Development Board is trying to save the river banks by dumping geo bags in the river as temporary measures.

A total of 17 houses of Bogurapara, Ramhori, Kitabgaon, and Burirhat have been devoured by the Teesta River recently despite the efforts of the Water Development Board.

Mondol Ali, son of late Bande Ali of Kitab Khan village under Bidyananda union, said, "We live on the bank of the Teesta. But there is no option but to dump geo bags to control the river erosion. I have no idea how we will survive here. We have no idea how long we can survive here."

Meheron of Ramhori village of Gharialdanga said, "The river has taken all of my properties including cropland. I have sold trees worth Tk 0.5 million (5 lakh) only at Tk 90,000 fearing the erosion in the Teesta River. If the river washes away my house, then we will turn homeless."

Abdul Baten, UP member of No. 1 ward under the Gharialdanga union, said the measures taken by the Water Development Board are inadequate to protect the 6-7 kilometre areas from the river erosion. Contacted, Kurigram Water Development Board executive engineer Abdullah Al Mamun said, "We have saved several points of the Teesta River. Now erosion has started in new places. We are trying to save the river banks from erosion after contacting the higher authorities."

bdnews24.com from Sylhet says: A large swathes of five upazilas, including the Sylhet metropolitan area, have been inundated after floods swept across the region for a third time due to heavy rains and the onrush of mountain runoffs.

Earlier in April, unusual flooding hit the low-lying parts of Sylhet. The north-eastern city experienced its worst flood in 18 years in May. Disaster has now hit the city again before its residents recovered fully from the suffering caused by the previous flood. The Surma was flowing 97 cm and 28 cm above the danger level at the Kanaighat and Sylhet points respectively at noon on Thursday, said Asif Ahmed, executive engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board.

The Sari River is flowing 37 cm above the danger level. The water level has increased in the Kushiyara and Lobha rivers as well.

More than 300 villages in Companiganj, Gowainghat, Jointiapur, Kanaighat and the Sylhet Sadar Upazila, including 10 different parts of the city, have already been inundated as rains and mountain runoff continue to raise water levels, Asif said.

"Thousands of people have been affected by the floods in several unions in the Kanaighat and Gowainghat upazilas - including Sadar, east, west and central Jaflong, east and west Alir Gaon, Rustampur, Towakul and Lengura", Asif added.

"The authorities have prepared at least 42 shelters in Gowainghat Upazila for the people affected by the floods", Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Tahmilur Rahman said. At least 138 villages in Companiganj have been flooded with road connections cut between the Sadar Upazila and six different unions. Several government offices and educational institutions have also been inundated in the area.

At least 36 shelters have been opened in the upazila for the flood-affected people, Companiganj Upazila Executive Officer Lusikanta Hajong said.

A total of 443 shelters have been prepared for the people marooned by the floods. The government allocated 298 tonnes of rice for the affected, said Nurul Islam, Sylhet district relief and rehabilitation officer.

UNB reports from Sunamganj, water in the Surma River was flowing 55 centimetres above the danger mark, while it was 213 centimetres above the danger mark at Chhatak point on Thursday morning.

Water Development Board has recorded 185mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours in the district. More than 0.3 million (three lakh) people have been marooned in the districts due to the flood.

Several hundred houses, more than 200 educational institutions, and at least 100 fish enclosures went under water in recent days in Chhatak.

Berajpur, Noapara, Alampur, Bilpar, Dashghar, Krishnanagar, Anondonagar, Bagain, Lakshmipur, Gabindanagar and Mohonpur areas of the upazila are worst affected.