Flood-ravaged roads
Most of the roads in Sylhet and Moulvibazar have been badly damaged by flood, severely affecting communication.
According to the administrations of the two districts, people of at least 800 villages in eight upazilas of Sylhet and five upazilas of Moulvibazar are passing their days amid serious problems due to breakdown of communication caused by heavy rains and surge of water from the hills.
According to Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in the two districts, around 542 km of roads have been damaged by flood in the last two weeks.
During a visit to Fenchuganj, this correspondent saw villagers and school students walking across the broken roads amid risk of accident. The suffering of the people increases when rainwater fills the potholes. Movement of vehicles is also greatly hampered.
Md Humayun Ahmed, a student at MC College in Sylhet, said, “I come to college from Kulaura, and I have to suffer a lot as the road is unfit for use.”
Munem Mia, an auto-rickshaw driver, said they have to suffer as many roads have become unfit for use, adding that accidents often happen in the damaged places.
"I could not cook food for the last five days as my house has been flooded by the waves coming from the broken roads," said Monoara Begum, 45, of Bhularkandi village near the Hakaluki Haor in Barlekha upazila of Moulvibazar.
Juri Upazila Parishad Vice-Chairman Kishore Roy Chowdhury Moni said bricks of the roads have been washed away and deep holes have been created in some places, adding that earthen roads have have been completely wiped out in many places.
Immediate relief, including food support from the government, is needed to mitigate sufferings of the affected people, said Azizur Rahman, chairman of Bhuksimul Union Parishad in Kulaura upazila.
Moulvibazar Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer (EE) Bijoy Indra Sankar Chakrabarty said they have informed the higher authorities of the matter, and sought emergency allocation for repairing the roads and flood control embankments.
EE of RHD in Moulvibazar Mintu Ranjan Debnath said, 60.63 km of the roads were damaged due to flood and 80.50 km were damaged by heavy rain. The loss could be around Tk 66.71 crore, he added.
EE of LGED in Moulvibazar Kamrul Islam said around 186 km of roads are still submerged in water, adding that the loss is estimated to be around Tk 34.51 crore.
EE of RHD in Sylhet Utpal Samanta said, "The water has not yet receded from the roads and the carpeting has sunk in many places. They will be repaired after the flood.”
EEof LGED Sylhet ASM Mohsin said 216.19 km of roads in the district have been damaged, with Beanibazar upazila being the worst affected.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Moulvibazar Tofail Islam told this correspondent that water level has risen in Rajnagar, Moulvibazar Sadar, Juri, Kulaura and Barlekha upazilas. Around 2,65,369 people in 314 villages have been affected, he added.
DC of Sylhet Md Rahat Anwar said the flood-affected areas are Fenchuganj, Golapganj, Dakkhin Surma, Beanibazar, Osmaninagar, Balaganj, Companyganj and Jakiganj upazilas. Around 1,38,755 people in 466 villages have been affected, he added.
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