Most areas of Noakhali have been submerged multiple times over the past month due to continuous rain, with the most recent week-long downpour flooding the municipal area, causing widespread waterlogging in most roads and residential courtyards.
The situation is the same in all nine upazilas of the district – most fish farms have been washed away, leading to widespread hardship among the local population.
Locals attributed the situation to the slow drainage of water through the canals and drains running alongside the city.
The rising water levels have also caused significant damage to the agricultural sector.
A visit to the district town revealed that the premises in front of the superintendent of police’s office, the local court, the Red Crescent Society building, the livestock officer’s office, the DB office, the Fisheries office and the ground floor of the Noakhali Press Club were submerged.
Many roads were underwater, and the damaged municipal roads further hindered vehicular movement.
Several sections of the main roads were also underwater, leading to waterlogging in nearby shops and significant financial losses for many shopkeepers.
The drains alongside nearly every road in the city have overflowed, causing the rainwater to mix with sewage.
Rubel Hossain, a resident of Laxminarayanpur, said there was knee-deep water in his house, even inside the living quarters.
He added that almost every house in the area was waterlogged. “The drains are draining water very slowly, so the more it rains, the worse the problem gets. We are in great distress."
Aleya Begum, a resident of Masterpara, said even her kitchen is flooded, adding that she could not cook and had to buy food from a shop.
“The stagnant waste in the drains has mixed with the rainwater and spread everywhere. I fear the spread of diseases," she said.
Croplands submerged
Seedbeds for Aman paddy are also submerged, and farmers in many areas are unable to plant Aman due to excessive water in the fields.
Some transplanted Aman paddy are submerged under two to two-and-a-half feet of water, threatening the season's cultivation target. Various vegetables have also been damaged, causing financial losses for many farmers.
According to the local Department of Agricultural Extension office, the target for Aman cultivation in the district this year was set at 174,145 hectares, with seedbeds prepared on 9,834 hectares. So far Aman has been cultivated on 14,490 hectares.
Additionally, vegetables have been cultivated on 5,550 hectares of land.
The seedbeds, transplanted Aman and vegetables have been submerged due to the rain, causing extensive damage.
Water has also entered most educational institutions in the upazilas, causing immense hardship for students and teachers who are forced to attend classes under risky conditions.
Waterborne disease
Meanwhile, the number of waterborne disease patients has increased at the diarrhoea ward of Noakhali General Hospital.
In the first 18 days of this month, 521 people, including women and children, received treatment.
On Monday, 124 patients were in the 20-bed women's and children's ward.
The hospital authorities are struggling to cope with the influx of patients. There is a shortage of saline and essential medicines in the diarrhoea ward, forcing patients and their families to purchase them from pharmacies.
Noakhali Deputy Commissioner Dewan Mahbubur Rahman said waterlogging was a longstanding issue in Noakhali.
He said several meetings had been held with the relevant authorities over the years to address this. “Instructions have been given to remove illegal structures that obstruct water flow. The [Bangladesh] Water Development Board has been directed to remove illegal dams and structures on canals, but they have not fully complied.”
Given the current situation, the district administration was ready to take whatever measures necessary, he added.