The flood situation in Noakhali has worsened due to continuous rain and upstream water, leading many people to seek shelters. However, space is unavailable in remote areas, forcing many to live in waterlogged conditions.
The flood situation further deteriorated in the district town of Maizdi and in the Sadar upazila. Meanwhile, residents have reported that relief is not properly reaching many remote areas of the district. Flood victims are desperately seeking aid.
Currently, 21,25,500 people in 87 unions across 8 upazilas of the district are stranded due to flooding. The number of people taking shelter in 1,303 shelters is 2,64,743.
Locals have observed some improvement in the flood situation in Senbagh, Kabirhat, and Companiganj upazilas in the last 24 hours.
However, the situation in Begumganj, Sonamui and Chatkhil upazilas remains almost unchanged, and the situation in the district town of Maizdi and Sadar upazila has worsened.
According to Arjul Islam, a senior observer at the district Meteorological Department: "In the 24 hours from 9am Tuesday to 9am Wednesday, 72 millimetres of rainfall has been recorded. With a new low-pressure system forming in the Bay of Bengal, there is a possibility of more rainfall in the district in the next 24 hours."
Didar Hossain, a resident of Begumganj, said: "People in the villages are suffering greatly due to being stranded. However, we are not receiving relief due to the remote access routes. The lack of coordination between administrative and individual relief efforts has led to this situation."
Iqbal Mahmood, staying at the Kalamunsi High School shelter in Kabirhat, said: "In this shelter, six families are cramped into a small room. With more people coming in, there is no space left."
Rana, a youth from Companiganj, said that his father is a heart patient and they cannot stay in their waterlogged house. He is looking for a rental house in the Basurhat market, but finding one is proving difficult under the current circumstances.
Imran Hossain, a youth from Senbagh, said that relief has not yet reached many areas in the Beejbagh union. People are struggling and going hungry with water inside their homes.
Meanwhile, volunteers bringing relief from various parts of the country to Noakhali are facing difficulties. Reports have surfaced of volunteers being assaulted and relief materials being looted due to a lack of proper oversight by the administration.
Noakhali Deputy Commissioner Dewan Mahbubur Rahman said: "The situation in Noakhali is continuously worsening. The food crisis is at its peak. We are trying our best, and more affluent members of society need to provide additional assistance to the residents of Noakhali."
