Authorities of Tahirpur Upazila Administration have banned the operation of tourist boats from Tahirpur to Tanguar Haor, due to the heavy showers reported in the district over the last couple of days.
A notification, signed by Tahirpur Upazila Executive Officer Md Raihan Kabir, on Thursday said authorities are predicting a flood in the upazila due to heavy rainfalls and an onrush of water from the upstream.
Moreover, rivers and haors are overflowing with water and thunderstorms have been reported several times. As a consequence, all tourist vessels in Tahirpur upazila will be suspended until further notice from the authorities.
The Tanguar Haor (wetland ecosystem) in Sunamganj continues to suffer a catastrophic loss of livelihoods and biodiversity, threatening not just the extinction of numerous species and irreplaceable genetic variety, but also food supply, health, security, and tourism.
Located at the foothills of India’s Meghalaya state, the ecological balance in the district’s Tahirpur upazila is being disrupted over time as homesteads, croplands and waterbodies keep getting buried under sand and gravel with every sudden landslide in the upper catchment areas.
Meanwhile, around 300,000 people of five upazilas of Sylhet district have been marooned due to an onrush of water from upstream and heavy showers.
Low-lying areas, inclusive of houses, roads, educational institutions and shops of the upazilas, were inundated. There have been heavy rains since Wednesday morning, which worsened the flood situation.
More than 300 villages, educational institutions, and roads in Companiganj, Gowainghat, and Jaintapur upazilas went underwater. Forty-two shelters have been opened in Gowainghat for the flood-hit people.