A large number of people in Zakiganj upazila in Sylhet have suffered due to the collapse of the Kushiara River embankment.
The Surma and Kushiara rivers are flowing above the danger level at six points. Despite little rain in Sylhet over the past 24 hours, water has entered numerous houses and roads in low-lying areas of Sylhet city.
Zakiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Afsana Taslim on Thursday said that water from upstream is flowing rapidly through the broken embankment.
Journalist Abdul Haseeb Tapadar noted that on Tuesday night, around 85 villages suffered as river water overflowed into areas including Chabaria, Rarail, Bakharshal, and Norsingpur in Zakiganj upazila.
Due to the embankment breach, five union parishads in the upazila, including parts of Zakiganj municipal area, are flooded. This is the third time that people in the lower parts of the upazila have been inundated, reaching extreme levels of suffering.
Schools, colleges, madrasas, mosques, graveyards, rural roads, and a section of the Sheola-Zakiganj road are submerged. Water has also entered the Zakiganj Upazila Health Complex and the fire service office. Flood-affected people are facing severe difficulties due to a lack of cooked food, clean water, sanitation, water-borne diseases, and fodder for cattle.
Residents claim that the embankments, which were temporarily repaired after breaking during the June floods, have failed again due to rising water levels. The Bangladesh Water Development Board’s delayed repairs have exacerbated the situation, leaving domestic animals in dire straits.
Jeevan Uddin Setu Mia of Chabaria village said his house, located next to the embankment, was destroyed and swept away by the water. He and his family have now taken shelter elsewhere.
UNO Afsana Taslim said that the embankments, temporarily repaired after earlier floods, are now overflowing. The flood situation continues to worsen as water enters the locality. As of Thursday afternoon, 102 families have taken refuge in shelters, while many others are trapped at home. Union chairmen and tag officers are working to rescue them. The administration is distributing dry food stocked during previous floods to the victims.
According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board’s (BWDB) bulletin at 3pm on Thursday, the Surma River is 70cm above the danger level at Kaniaghat in Sylhet and 8cm above in Sylhet city. The Kushiara River is flowing 156cm, 47cm, 102cm, and 18cm above the danger level at Amalsid, Sheola, Fenchuganj, and Sherpur points, respectively.
Sylhet Meteorological Office Assistant Meteorologist Shah Sajib Hossain reported that Sylhet recorded 18.8mm of rain from 6am on Wednesday to 6am on Thursday.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Cherrapunji in India received 64mm of rain from 9pm on Wednesday to 9am on Thursday.
As of Thursday morning, 9,234 people are staying in 205 flood shelters in Sylhet, with 617,793 people from 1,160 villages affected by the flood.