Severe flooding hits 7 districts

Over two lakh people have been marooned, hundreds of houses damaged and fishes of ponds washed away as severe flooding has hit seven districts of the country’s east and south-eastern regions.
Floodwater, due mainly to heavy monsoon rain, has submerged low-lying areas, inundating homesteads in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Feni, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar, according to Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre.
Major rivers including the Surma-Kushiyara, Khowai, Mohuri and Halda are overflowing while other rivers have swelled by onrush of water from upstream India, says the centre. 
FFWC’s executive engineer Md Arifuzzaman Bhuyan, talking to New Age, predicted that the flash-food, which already inundated many areas, would continue for two more days. 
Monsoon rain on the border along with the rush of the upstream water caused the floods, he said.
According to FFWC report, the Ganges-Padma Rivers are rising. The rivers of upper Meghna basin in the north-eastern region are rising rapidly, the summery report says.
The Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Ganges-Padma basins may remain steady in the next 48 hours from Wednesday afternoon.
New Age correspondent in Feni reported that the River Matamuhuri was flowing 300 centimetres above the danger marks, said district Water Development Board executive engineer Kohinur Alam.
At least 15 villages at Fulgazi and Parsuram have been submerged by floodwater, which marooned several thousand people and washed away fishes of ponds. 
Fulgazu Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kisinger Chakma said that marooned people were removed to safer place and local administration distributed relief among flood-affected people.
Porsuram UNO Ahsan Uddin Murad said that seven villages were inundated by floodwater and dry foods were distributed among the affected people.
New Age staff correspondent in Chittagong reported that flash flood and stagnant rain water inundated villages of eight unions and one municipality of Baghaichari in Rangamati.
All the eight unions of the upazila — Sajek, Sarbotali, Rupakari, Marishya, Khedamara, Bangaltali, Baghaichari and Amtoli — were severely flooded as the River Kachalong overflowed, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Baghaichari Nadim Sarwar. 
He said houses, crop lands and different establishments in this upazila went under water, forcing people to take shelter in the nearest schools, colleges and madrashas. 
‘We have opened 15 shelter centres though more shelters centres are ready to serve the flood-affected people,’ he said.
The UNO said that Baghaichari municipality was badly affected by flood which continued till Tuesday midnight. 
‘The situation is stable now there was no rain since Wednesday morning but people have been suffering for stagnant water,’ he said, adding that around 10 tonnes of rice was distributed at the shelters. 
The water in Kaptai Lake was flowing over the danger level, inundating the low-lying areas of Barkal, Bilaichhari, Longdu, Jurachhari and Naniarchar.
Deputy commissioner of Rangamati AKM Mamunur Rashid said that several villages were flooded in Baghaichhari and water from upstream of the River Kachalong washed away many houses and croplands.
United News of Bangladesh in Chittagong reported severe flooding at Hathazari, Raozan and Fatikchhari of the district, which caused untold sufferings to the people.
At Hathazari, regional roads, fish enclosures, houses and business establishments were submerged by rain water.
Besides, embankments of the River Halda at different points collapsed, increasing the woes of people. The Hathazari-Rangamati, Hathazari-Khagrachhari and Hathazari-Oxygen highways were inundated causing immense sufferings to the commuters.
Nearly one lakh people in six unions — Haldia, Dabua, Chikdair, Ghahira, Noajishpur, Purba Gujra and Raozan — have been trapped by stagnant rain water.
People were seen wading through the knee-deep water on Chittagong-Rangamati Road on Tuesday. Besides, traffic remained suspended on the road due to the flooding.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net