Despite a month and a half passing since the flood, water has not completely receded, lingering suffering to residents of three upazilas in Lakshmipur.
In some areas, water is still knee-deep.
Various obstacles and slow water flow in the canals are preventing the water from passing out.
Additionally, heavy rainfall has caused persistent waterlogging, leaving nearly 100,000 people in the Lakshmipur Sadar, Kamalnagar, and Ramgati upazilas still suffering due to the flooding.
During a visit on Friday to various areas in the Tumchar, Vangakhana, and Duttapara unions revealed widespread waterlogging. Some houses, roads, and gardens remain submerged.
Particularly, houses on the eastern bank of the Rahmatkhali canal near the Jaksin-Poddar Bazaar road are still flooded. The prolonged waterlogging has led to severe hardship for residents.
Ali Azgar Robin, a member of the Red Crescent Society, stated that a list of affected families in the Kalirchar and Elar Goja areas of Tumchar Union has been compiled for relief assistance.
Azgar Hossain, a resident of Mirikpur village in Vangakhana Union, shared: "Our house is by the canal. Water entered our home almost a month and a half ago. There's waist-deep water in the yard and knee-deep inside the house. I had to send my wife and daughter to my in-laws' house. Although there’s no water inside now, it’s still in the yard. The water continues to rise due to the rain."
He added: "The water flow in the canal is slow. The water isn't passing out because of trees and water hyacinths. I can't express the extent of our suffering from the prolonged flooding."
Sohag Mia, a resident of Mirikpur Bazaar, mentioned that the houses along the canal are still submerged. "It’s been this way for a month and a half. Some areas were flooded first, but water will recede last in these areas."
To address the waterlogging, efforts are being made to clear the canals.
Mahfuz Hossain from Gangashibpur village in Duttapara Union stated that around 5,000 people in the northern Boralia and Gangashibpur areas and three wards of the union remain waterlogged.
Abdur Rahman, a resident of Char Kadira Union in Kamalnagar, noted that residents on both banks of the Bhuluya River in Kamalnagar and Ramgati’s Char Poragacha Union are still trapped in water.
Lakshmipur Deputy Commissioner Rajib Kumar Sarker indicated that a major reason for the prolonged waterlogging is the obstruction of natural water flow.
Various obstacles have been created both naturally and artificially, with some people deliberately hindering canal flow for dishonest purposes. To ensure proper water flow, the Rahmatkhali canal was cleaned at 13 locations in Lakshmipur Municipality on Thursday.
Additionally, cleaning operations are ongoing in the Ramgati, Raipur, and Ramganj municipalities.
