Flash flood wreaks havoc
Flash floods triggered by heavy downpour during the last couple of days caused inundation of vast areas in different places including Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Patuakhali and Khagrachhari.
50 Moulvibazar villages flooded
Heavy rain coupled with onrush of water from hills during the last three days caused flooding in Kulaura and Kamalganj upazilas of the district as water continued entering through different points of four damaged embankments on the Monu and Dhalai rivers, reports our correspondent.
More than 50 villages have been submerged due to the untimely flood.
Protection embankments at two points of the Monu river – Chatlaghat Bridge and Asroygram village in Kulaura -- breached due to the onrush of water from the upstream and incessant rainfall, leaving around 40 villages under floodwater.
The flash flood inundated croplands, fisheries, houses and different establishments, including educational institutions, mosques and temples.
“More than 300 houses in the area have been washed away by flood early yesterday. The affected villagers have taken shelter on the roads,” farmer Toklim Mia, 45, told this correspondent during the latter's visit to Itarghat in Monu river basin area in Sharifpur union yesterday.
“The flood-affected people are passing a miserable time under the open sky without food,” said Md Harun Ali, of Bherigaon village.
Local people alleged that the local office of the Water Development Board (WDB) did not take necessary steps to save the embankments.
Tilagaon Union Parishad Chairman M Abdul Malik said at least 80 to 100 feet of the flood protection embankment collapsed into the riverbed at Asroygram village at 3:30am yesterday.
M Janab Ali, chairman of Sharifpur Union Parishad said some 400 feet of the flood protection embankment went into the riverbed in Chatlaghat area, leaving the bridge over the Monu river in a vulnerable situation.
The Monu river was flowing some 30 centimetres over the danger mark at Chandnighat in the district, said Muklesur Rahman Talukder, assistant engineer of WDB in Moulvibazar.
Besides, cracks have developed at Chatlapur, Tagarpur, Kamarchak, Ronchap, Bhangarhat and some other points of the flood protection embankment on the Monu river.
In Kamalganj, two embankments on the Dhalai river area broke, flooding Mokhabeel, Guler haor, Sreepur, Hiramoti, Shimultola, Katabeel, Adampur, Bongaon, Ghoramara, Najatkuna, Hiramati, Tilakpur, Kamalganj, Chaitanyaganj, Alepur and Gopalnagar villages.
Jewel Ahmed, mayor of Kamalganj municipality, said two points along the Dhalai river have collapsed, a large number of people have become marooned and thousands of families along the river are living in fear of losing their croplands and homesteads.
Meanwhile, water level of the Khowai river started rising alarmingly from yesterday morning. The river was flowing about two metres above the danger level, increasing the possibility of serious floods, said Md Tawhidul Islam, executive engineer of WDB, Habiganj.
30 Patuakhali villages inundated
At least 30 villages under Kalapara upazila in the district were inundated as flood control embankments at different places collapsed due to heavy rainfall and tidal surge influenced by depression on the Bay in last three days, reports our correspondent.
Fishes also moved away from ponds and enclosures due to flooding as different rivers and canals see three to four feet higher than usual flow.
Flood control embankments in different areas under the upazila, including Lalua, Mohipur, Dhankhali and Champapur unions collapsed.
Around 3,000 acres of Aman land went under water and some 3,000 families are suffering as water entered their houses after flood control embankment on the Ramnabad river in Lalua union collapsed at eight points on Friday night.
Nine more villages of Dhankhali and Champapur unions were inundated as dyke in Devpur and Gondamari areas collapsed on Saturday morning.
About 2,000 acres of Aman paddy field and most of the houses of seven villages of Mohipur union were inundated by water from the overflowing Andharmanik river.
“We are suffering with family members as we could not cook food for last three days,” said Ibrahim Munshi of Nizampur village.
Mir Tariquzzaman Tara, chairman of Lalua UP, said at least eight points of an embankment collapsed, flooding villages, including Poshurbunia, Charipara, Nawapara, Gajirkhali, Munshipara, Banatipara, Dhonjupara, Howla, Chotopachnon, Boropachnon and Chowdhurypara.
Our Khagrachhari correspondent adds: Vast areas of the district were flooded due to overflowing of the Chengi river following downpour on Saturday.
Many houses in Khabangpuria, Sobdhamia Para, Ganjapara, Santinagar, Rajya Moni Para, Kaladheba, Golabari and Futbill areas were submerged.
“Ripe and semi-ripe paddy fields on vast areas of Mohalchhari and Dighinala upazilas have been flooded. The early winter vegetables fields in large areas on both sides of the Chengi river have been totally destroyed,” said Tarun Bhattacharya, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Khagrachhari.
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