Sylhet schools shut as flood worsens

People in Sunamganj cry for relief

FE Team | Published: May 20, 2022 00:26:53

The overall flood situation in Sylhet district worsened further Thursday morning, with some rivers still flowing above the danger level due to the onrush of hilly waters from India, reports UNB.
Although the showers have subsided in the district in the last two days, the water levels in rivers and haors of Sylhet rose two more inches due to the onrush this morning.
According to the administration, at least 30 areas of Sylhet city have been flooded.
The flood situation has also worse in 13 upazilas of the district -- Companiganj, Gowainghat, Kanaighat, Zakiganj, Jaintapur and Sylhet Sadar upazilas to name a few.
The floods have affected 2.0 million people in Sylhet district and city.
Meanwhile, the floods have triggered power cuts in different upazilas and Sylhet city, hitting hard some 1.15 million consumers of Bangladesh Power Development Board and Palli Bidyut Samiti.
Hundreds of students have been hit hard as flooding forced authorities to close educational institutions in Sylhet district.
According to the district primary education office, floodwaters have entered some 550 educational institutions in the district,
Besides, 200 educational institutions have been designated as shelters for the flood-hit residents of the district, forcing students to stay away from their academic activities.
Report from Sunamganj adds: Hundreds of flood-affected people in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj district have been waiting for relief materials from the administration.
Many victim families have taken shelter at the three temporary flood shelters in the upazila as onrush of water from the upstream and heavy rains inundated their houses and marooned tens of thousands of people.
Chhatak upazila administration has distributed dry food among the flood victims.
However, these are not sufficient and many people did not get food, alleged some flood-affected people. Farmers are also facing a shortage of fodder at the shelters and there is also an acute crisis of pure drinking water at the shelters, they said.
Only flood victims, who have taken shelter at the educational institutions are getting relief, they alleged.
People who have taken shelter in other places and marooned people are not getting food and cash assistance from the administration, they said.
Setara Begum, wife of fisherman Abdul Matin, who has taken shelter at Takipur Govt Primary School, said, she didn't have food for the last three days. She didn't received any kind of relief from anyone.