Fifteen villages inundated in two districts of Rangpur

Flash floods caused by heavy rain inundated at least 15 villages and vast areas of cropland in the Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts of Rangpur.    Train communication on the Thakurgaon-Panchagarh route has remained suspended for the same reason.    Meanwhile, technical glitches at the sluice gate of Tangon dyke have caused obstruction in water flow, making floodwater enter around 2,000 houses in four villages under the two districts.    Two hundred more houses were reportedly damaged in the flood.   Sources said hundreds of people have been marooned by floodwater while vast areas of cropland have been inundated. Heavy downpour has also left major thoroughfares in the districts waterlogged.    Monjurul Islam of Thakurgaon, whose family has been affected by the flash flood, said, “We have been stuck since water entered our house. I can’t think of any way out for my family, or the livestock that is stuck with us.”   Monir Hossain, another flood victim, said, “It rained all night long on Saturday, causing the flooding. The situation has just gotten worse, with the sluice gate not working at all.”   Narayan Chandra, who resides at a village in Panchagarh, is under the impression that foul play is behind the sluice malfunction.  “The dyke authorities did not allow water to pass from one side to another. They did that intentionally, which is why those 2,000 households were submerged,” he said.    Till the filing of this report, affected villagers did not receive emergency aid from the administrations of the districts.  Thakurgaon road station manager Maznur Rahman Khan confirmed the news of disruption in rail services. “Because of waterlogging a local train headed for Thakurgaon got stranded. We are trying to clear the line as soon as possible.”   Train communication would resume post-Monday, he added.   Regarding the dyke problem, Executive Engineer of Water Development Board Naimul Islam said, “Technical problems in the drainage system of the dyke caused flood in some areas.”