Due to the incessant heavy rain and tidal surge triggered by the cyclonic storm ‘Komen’, flood situation in various parts of the country has deteriorated in the last couple of days.
Hundreds of people are marooned as villages are inundated by the rising water of rivers. However, people in the affected areas said they were not getting relief materials properly. And those who were lucky to receive aid alleged it was inadequate.
Chittagong
Our correspondent reported that major areas of Chittagong city, including Agrabad, Halishahar, CDA, Bahaddarhat, Bakalia, Port Residential Area and some parts of Patenga were submerged as heavy rainfall continued.
Besides, Satkania, Fatikchhari, Banshkhali, Lohagara and Chandnaish upazilas of the district are also flooded due to the onrush of upstream water.
“We have been struggling to provide relief as we have received low allocation from the government,” said Mohammad Ibrahim Chowdhury, vice-chairman of Satkania upazila, where some 17 unions are inundated.
Local sources in Banshkhali said tidal waves accompanied by heavy rain flooded upazila’s 14 unions including Chanua, Sambol, Sheikh Khalil and Puichari.
Noakhali
The rushing water from Bishkhali, Buriswar, Boleswar and Khakdan rivers have damaged 1.5km of the embankment and marooned hundreds of people in the unions of Shukhchar, Nolchira and Charishwar.
Hatia UNO Abu Hasanat Mohammed Moeenuddin told the Dhaka Tribune that some 30 cattle had died due to the rough weather in Biribiri area under the upazila.
Anupam Barua, acting deputy commissioner of Noakhali, said: “The government has allotted 11 tons of rice and Tk25,000 for the flood-hit people of Hatia while it was 10 tons of rice and Tk20,000 for Senbag, Sonaimuri, Begumganj, Companiganj, Kabirhat, Sadar and Subarnachar upazilas each.”
Bandarban
According to our correspondents, nine wards of the town are submerged as water level of Sangu River has been flowing over the danger level.
Due to the fear of landslide, hundreds of people from the risky areas had been moved to shelters. There is also an acute shortage of clean drinking water as many deep tube wells have gone under water.
Tourism has also been affected as road connectivity with Ruma, Thanchi and Nilgiri has been suspended due to landslide.
Bandarban Municipality Mayor Javed Reza said they were trying to provide shelter and food to the affected people. But it was not enough given the high number of flood-hit people.
Comilla
Nangalkot, Chouddogram, Manoharganj and Laksam upazilas of the district have been flooded again due to the incessant rain.
Lack of clean drinking water has resulted in outbreak of diarrhoea in some villages of Nangalkot and Chouddogram.
Eshaque Mia of Gorkumra village said some hundred families were suffering due to the flood.
“We have got some relief materials but no medicine yet. Our children are suffering from diarrhoea,” he said.
Nangalkot UNO Mohammad Saidul Arif said: “We have distributed dry foods and cash money. A medical team for each union has also been formed and they have already started distributing oral saline and water purification tablets.”
AKM Mamunur Rashid, deputy director of local government division of Comilla, said a total of 205 tons of rice and Tk5 lakh had been allocated for the four upazilas of Comilla.
Borguna
According to our correspondent, the rivers in the district had been swelling due to the cyclonic storm Komen inundating the low-lying areas.
Metre reader of Borguna Water Development Board, Mahtab Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune: “The water was lower than the danger level at the beginning of the monsoon. But after the Komen, the level has increased resulting in a 2.92 metre high tidal waves.”
He however said there was no report of any embankment being breached by the rising water.