Flood maroons 2 lakh in Jessore

Intermittent downpour for the last two weeks and onrush of water from the nearby rivers has marooned about two lakh people in thirteen unions under Monirampur upazila of the district.

About 40,000 houses, croplands, roads and embankments also went under water in at least130 villages under those unions due to the rainfall that started on August 10.

Meanwhile, several thousand residents in the upazila are facing food and pure drinking water scarcity as rains and onrush of water from Mukteshwari and Hari Rivers.

While visiting several flood-affected villages, this correspondent found that most of the villages under knee-deep water and many took shelter on highlands.

Many shrimp enclosures and water bodies in the areas were washed away due to the inconstant downpour, said Abul Kashem, owner of an enclosure.

Besides, around 103 schools and other educational institutions remain unofficially closed, as they have been flooded.

Swapan Bhattacharya, lawmaker for Jessore-5 constituency, said the rainwater could not get released as nearby Hari and Mukteshwari Rivers are silted up.