The flood situation in Comilla is worsening as the water level in the Gomti River continues to rise due to heavy rainfall and inflow from upstream.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Comilla Water Development Board reported that the Gomti River was flowing 103cm above the danger level, up from 70cm at 7am.
Villages near the river's embankments have been submerged since Wednesday due to the rising waters.
The river's embankments are under severe pressure, causing flooding in more than 50 areas, including Chanpur, Tikkarchar, Dumuria, Kamarkhara, Banashua, Babur Bazar, Palpara, and Bhatpara in Adarsha Sadar Upazila.
Many residents have lost their belongings as floodwaters inundated homes and disrupted the regional road network, leaving millions in the district homeless.
Floodwaters have also reached Comilla City Corporation areas. Without adequate drainage, water has entered homes in several neighbourhoods, including Prison Road, DC Road, Chhotara, Ranirbazar, Thankupara, Court Road, Chawkbazar, Dharmapur, Ashoktola, Ramghatla, and EPZ Road.
The flooding extends beyond the district headquarters, affecting most upazilas, including Chauddagram, Laksam, Nangalkot, Homna, Manoharganj, Titas, Burichong, and Chandina, where many houses are submerged.
In response, train services on the Dhaka-Chittagong railway have been suspended, and the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Comilla's Chauddagram market has also been affected by rising waters.
To assist flood victims, 54 shelters have been opened in Nangalkot, 51 in Barura, 28 in Chauddagram, and three in Adarsha Sadar Upazila.
In Chauddagram alone, at least 70,000 people are waterlogged, and another 35,000 are trapped in Nangalkot Upazila.
Chauddagram Upazila Nirbahi Officer Dr Rahmat Ullah said that various social and political organizations, alongside the administration, are distributing relief packages to those in shelters.
Nangalkot and Chandina upazilas are also severely affected, with all government and private offices' ground floors submerged.
Nangalkot Upazila Nirbahi Officer Suraiya Akhter Lucky confirmed the opening of 54 shelters, though no shelters have been opened in Chandina so far.
Comilla Water Development Board Executive Engineer Sheikh Waliuzzaman expressed uncertainty about when the water level might begin to recede.
"Gomti water is flowing 103cm above the flood limit," he said, noting the unpredictability of the situation.
