A sudden surge of water from India’s Tripura state inundated low-lying areas of at least 15 villages in Akhaura upazila of Brahmanbaria on Monday, submerging croplands, fish farms and vegetable fields and forcing several families to leave their homes.
Residents said water began rushing into the area in the early hours of the day through the Haora River and the Jaji and Kalandi canals following heavy rainfall in the hilly areas of Tripura.
The flooding has affected low-lying areas of Dakshin Union, including Anwarpur, Hirapur, Abdullahpur, Dhaleshwar, Banger Char, Bautla, Birchandrapur, Sahebnagar and Umedpur. Several areas of Akhaura municipality, including Narayanpur, Taragaon and Dhatur Pahila, have also been inundated.
Low-lying areas of Mogra Union’s Colonel Bazar and parts of Moniand Union have also been affected.
Water has entered homes and business establishments around the Akhaura Land Port, disrupting the activities of small traders. Residents of some inundated homes have moved to relatives’ houses for shelter.
Farmers said they were particularly concerned about damage to their crops.
“After spending a lot of money and effort to cultivate paddy, I have now lost the entire crop to the floodwater,” said Abdur Rashid, a farmer from Abdullahpur. “If the water recedes, I do not know how I will cultivate the land again. The government should provide compensation to affected farmers.”
Monu Mia, another farmer from Birchandrapur, said his paddy fields were underwater and warned that continued rises in the water level could cause major losses.
Tajul Islam, a farmer from Rajendrapur, said around four kani of his paddy land had been submerged. He said the crop might still be saved if the water receded quickly, but prolonged flooding would cause significant damage.
Mahbub Mia, a small trader near the Akhaura Land Port, said water entered several shops and business establishments early yesterday.
“If the water continues to rise, the suffering of local residents will increase,” he said.
Abdur Rahim Mia, a member of Ward No. 8 of Dakshin Union, said heavy rainfall in the hilly areas of Tripura had caused the sudden surge of water, which entered Akhaura through the Haora River and the Jaji and Kalandi canals.
Several families have already been affected and taken shelter with relatives, he said.
Akhaura Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Tapasi Rabeya said the administration had assessed the initial damage caused by the influx of water from upstream.
“Thirty-two families have so far been affected, while around 1,400 hectares of cropland are underwater,” she said.
She said the administration was monitoring the situation and had kept local primary schools ready to be used as emergency shelters if the water level rose further.
Dry food, rice, relief materials and medicines have also been kept ready, she said.
However, officials said the situation had started to improve somewhat from the afternoon as the water level began to recede.
Local residents and officials said further heavy rainfall in Tripura could worsen the situation, while a continued decline in the water level could help limit the damage.