Heavy rain triggers fresh flood in several districts

Heavy downpour triggers flash flood in Khagrachhari, inundating houses at Muslimpara and other areas in the district.Photo: STAR

Countrywide heavy downpour in the last few days brought floods to many districts again, as the major rivers either crossed the danger levels or neared the marks.
A few lakh people were newly marooned in different districts while some fortunate ones took shelters on highlands and in flood shelters. The government flood forecasting centre warned that the situation is likely to worsen.
"The Brahmaputra-Jamuna River is rising alarmingly and the Ganges-Padma also rose. The prevailing flood situation in Sylhet is likely to deteriorate," the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said in its bulletin yesterday.
A monsoon flood hit the country earlier this year, perishing around 1,000 people and displacing tens of thousands.
Our correspondents from different districts including Sylhet, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Gaibandha, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Lalmonirhat, and Sirajganj reported heavy downpour there for at least a couple of days.
Our Sylhet correspondent reported that the flood situation there worsened yesterday due to the rainfall and rolling water from the Indian upstream.
Newly transplanted aman paddies in five upazilas of Sylhet went under water while all the rivers in the region were flowing above danger levels. The worst affected areas are in Gowainghat, Kanaighat, Zakiganj, Beanibazar, and in Golapganj upazilas.
Our Sirajganj correspondent reported that the Jamuna was flowing 6cm above the danger level near Sirajganj yesterday morning flooding at least 100 villages in five upazilas of the district, and marooning about one lakh people of the Jamuna basin. The affected upazilas are Kazipur, Belkuchi, Sirajganj Sadar, Shahzadpur and Chowhaily.
Our Gaibandha correspondent reported that onrush of water from upstream flooded a vast tract of 12 unions in Gaibandha sadar, Fulchhari, and Shaghata upazilas during the 24 hours preceding last evening, for the third time in the season.
Recently transplanted aman seedlings on about 10,000 hectares of land were freshly inundated by the flood. Ghagoa, Gideri, Boali, and Kholahati unions were flooded by gushing water through a breach on Gaibandha town protection embankment at Konarpara.
Our Patuakhali correspondent reported that monsoon rain continued in the district yesterday as a high tide accompanied by strong wind whipped up waters, paralysing life in the coastal district.
Newly transplanted aman paddies went under water, while fishes worth about Tk 1 crore were washed away in seven affected upazilas. The district fisheries department sources said more than 1,200 shrimp enclosures and over 5,000 ponds in Galachipa, Kalapara, Dashmina, Baufal, Dumki, Mirzaganj and Sadar upazilas were inundated.
Our Nilphamari correspondent reported that heavy rainfall over the last three days submerged several unions of the district including East Chaatni, West Chaatni, Khagkhriboari, Teparkhorbari, Goyabari, Khalisa, Chapani, Jhugaccha, and Chapani of Dimla upazila, Goolmunda, Shoulmari, and Koimari of Jaldhaka upazila.
Our Barisal correspondent reported that communication on 28 internal and five coastal routes of the region were often disrupted due to choppy rivers. The report also added that continuous adverse weather was pounding the region for the last two days.
Government new agency the BSS reported that the flood situation in the country worsened following continuous rise in the water levels of the major rivers due to heavy rainfall in almost all the northern districts.
A number of villages on shoals, agricultural lands, bazars and educational institutions on the banks of the Teesta, Brahmptura, Dharla, Ghagot, Dudhkumar, Jamuna, Zinziram, Sonavori and on the banks of other tributaries are facing threats of being washed away due to land erosion.
UNB reported that around 50,000 people of 40 villages in Lalmonirhat were marooned by a fresh flood.
Our correspondents from Rangamati and Khagrachhari reported that several thousands of people from 11 upazilas of the two districts were marooned by a fresh flood in the 24 hours preceding last evening. Thousands of people took shelters on high lands and in flood shelters.
In the 24 hours preceding 8:30pm yesterday 120mm of rain fell in Khagrachhari, inundating the bus terminal in the district headquarters.
Ten to fifteen houses were inundated on the banks of the Chengi River, while 50,000 people in 50 areas of the district headquarters were marooned.
Our Rangamati correspondent reported that the water in Kaptai Lake is rising towards the danger level. If the situation continues for five or seven more days, two-thirds of the low lying areas of the district will be submerged.
Reports received from Noakhali said heavy downpour there flooded most of the district.