Floodwater receding in Sylhet, situation worsens in Kurigram

Flood leaves over 1.0m stranded in Sylhet

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FE Team | Published: June 21, 2024 23:51:22

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After being battered by heavy rainfall and the onrush of water from upstream for the past few days, water levels in several rivers in Sylhet started receding on Thursday, report agencies.
The speed of water receding increased Friday compared to Thursday. However, the number of water-stranded people has increased.
On the other hand, the flood situation in Kurigram district deteriorated further as water levels in all sixteen rivers including Teesta, Dudhkumar, Dharla and Brahmaputra keep rising.
The Flood Forecast and Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board has forecast improvement in the existing flood situation in the low-lying areas of Netrokona, Sylhet, and Sunamganj districts over the next 24 hours starting from Friday morning.
However, the flood situation may worsen in some parts of Rangpur, said Executive Engineer Sardar Uday Raihan of the WDB.
"A total of 10,43,161 people are marooned in 136 unions of the district," Sylhet district administration sources said on Friday afternoon.
In the metropolitan area alone, 60,000 people across 29 wards have been affected by the second wave of flooding.
According to district administration sources, 28,925 people have taken shelter in 713 shelters in 13 upazilas including 29 wards of Sylhet metropolitan area.
Out of 153 unions of the district, 1,602 villages of 136 unions have been flooded. Among them, Gowainghat, Jaintapur, Golapganj, Companiganj, Kanaighat, Zakiganj, Biswanath and Osmani Nagar upazilas are particularly hard-hit.
Many have complained regarding rescue and relief assistance in many flood-affected areas.
However, the district administration said Tk 3 million has been allocated for the people of the flood-affected areas and 600 metric tons of rice has been given.
Simultaneously, rescue operations are underway.
Report from Kurigram adds Water flowing above the danger level on Friday, said Rafsan Jani, sub-divisional engineer of Kurigram Water Development Board.
He said Teesta River was flowing 55 cm above the danger level at Kaunia Point while Dharla river was flowing 15 cm above the red mark at Shimulbari Point in Phulbari, flooding fresh areas in the region.
If the situation persists, there is a possibility that the water of all other rivers will also cross the danger level, he added.
Meanwhile, due to the rise in the water level of all major rivers, thousands of families in the low-lying and char areas of the Teesta and Dharla rivers and other river basins have been stranded.
The communication system in these areas collapsed, causing miseries to residents.
Various unpaved roads went underwater and many were seen commuting home on rafts of banana trees.
Almonds, jute, corn, pepper, other vegetable fields and various emerging crops have been submerged.
The flood situation causing untold suffering to the dwellers including sanitation problems and shortage of drinking water.