Flash flood causes breaches in Kushiyara dyke in Sylhet

SYLHET, May 30: The Kushiyara dyke has been damaged amid a flash flood that inundated many low-lying areas of different upazilas of the district.
The flash flood has been triggered by incessant rain and onrush of upstream water from the Indian state of Meghalaya.
Being stranded by the flooding, flood victims of Jaintapur upazila on Wednesday midnight through facebook posts urged people to send boats for rescuing them as floodwater was rising.
When contacted, BWDB Executive Engineer Dipok Ranjan Das said that water was overtopping at places along 17km of the Surma and Kushiyara dykes in frontier Zakiganj upazila.
The affected areas are located in Jaintapur, kanaighat, Zakiganj, Gowainghat and Companiganj upazila. The Surma at Kanaighat was flowing 02 metres above the danger level while the Sari river flowing about one metre above the red mark, he added.
He further said, “We apprehend further onrush of water from Meghalaya as it experienced 650mm rainfall in the last 24 hours”.
Meanwhile, BGB troops on Thursday joined local people to repair the badly damaged Kushiyara dyke in Loharmal area of Zakiganj.
An official at the Deputy Commissioner office said 1,000 sacks of dry food, 75 tonnes of rice and Tk 250,000 in cash were sent to Gowainghat, Jaintapur, Companiganj, Kanaighat and Zakiganj upazila on Thursday as part of emergency assistance.
Meanwhile, vast tracts of land in over 20 villages in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar were inundated as the Dholoi riverbank protection embankment developed cracks at least 5 points amid the incessant rain and upstream water from Trupura hills.
WDB executive engineer Moulvibazar Zabed Iqbal said the situation was improving. The Dholai river was flowing above the red mark. The Sylhet district town's road link was snapped with Gowainghat upazila as Salutikor-Gowainghat road went under water.
Sylhet District Relief and Rehabilitation officer Abdul Quddus said 470 flood shelters were ready for victims.
In Gowainghat upazila, an announcement was made with a call to take shelter at the shelter centres.
Meanwhile, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sanjit Chandra Chanda through a notification suspended his visit to Sadapathar, a tourism spot.
Shah Md Sajib Hossain, in charge of the Sylhet Met office, said Sylhet region may experience stormy weather with rains for 3 more days.
He also said 36mm rainfall was recorded in the city during nine hours till 3:00pm on Thursday.

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