Floods take toll on rail, road communications
Surging floodwaters are causing extensive damage to rail and road communications in different districts across the country.
In Gaibandha, the flood situation has turned critical as water in the Brahmaputra river was flowing 146 centimetres above danger mark at different points of the river.
Rail communications between Gaibandha and Bonarpara section remained suspended since Wednesday morning when floodwater gushing over a section of the rail tracks at Trimohoni washed away soil and stone chips from underneath, reports our correspondent in Gaibandha.
Consequently, the west zone of Bangladesh Railway has suspended all trains for an indefinite period on the section since 11:00am yesterday, said Khalilur Rahman, station master of Bonarpara rail station.
Vast tracts of land were flooded and about a 300-foot stretch of Gaibandha-Shaghata regional highway was washed away by floodwater gushing through Poragram area.
In Sundarganj upazila, road communications broke down after a 200-foot stretch of a road was washed away by surging waters.
Affected people in the area took refuge at different flood shelters. They are facing scarcity of food and drinking water.
In Kalmakanda and Durgapur upazilas of Netrakona, around 5,700 fish farmers in the upazilas suffered a serious blow as fish in nearly 3,000 ponds were washed away by floodwaters, reports our correspondent in Mymensingh.
The total loss incurred by the fish farmers is estimated at around Tk 9 crore, said sources.
Mosharraf Hossain, a farmer of Charulia village in Kalmakanda said he invested Tk 15 lakh in his 13 ponds, but he was done for as all his fish have been washed away by floodwater.
Ibrahim Khalilullah, sub-assistant engineer of Water Development Board in Netrakona, said the overall flood situation in Kalmakanda and Durgapur upazilas has improved as water levels in the Sumeswari, Kangso and Updakhali rivers have started to recede.
In Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat, boats became the sole mode of transport for around 20 thousand inhabitants of six villages in Jongra union as an approach road to a bridge, which connects them with the upazila headquarters, was washed away by floodwaters from the Dharla river on Sunday morning, reports our correspondent in Lalmonirhat.
The bridge is on Jongra-Patgram road that is the only major road for the six villages -- Jongra, Dhabalguri, Nanderghat, Dangapara, Barabhita and Mandirpara.
Only small boats are plying the flooded area to ferry people, but without any road communication, transport of goods is being affected, said a number of villagers.
“We already informed Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) officials of the collapsed road to the bridge, but they are yet to repair it,” said Atiar Rahman, a villager from Mandipara.
“The bridge’s approach road became risky last year after it was damaged by floodwaters from the Dharla. LGED officials were informed about it. But since they did not take any step to repair it all this time, it collapsed this year,” alleged Ahadul Islam, a businessman from Barabhita village of the upazila.
Contacted, AKM Amiruzzaman, executive engineer of LGED in Lalmonirhat, said it would not be possible to repair it until the floodwater recedes.
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