Ehsanul Haque Jasim :The flash flood severely hit Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) due to incessant rain for last several days. More than 21,000 families were affected in Bandarban district alone due to rise of water level in the Sangu and the Matamuhuri rivers. The floodwater also swept Barishal, Sylhet, Brahmanbaria and Netrakona districts. Vast areas of Bandarban, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar went under floodwater. Road communications in most of the upazilas and district headquarters have been snapped, while the electric lines have also been cut off in most of the flood-hit areas. The affected people were facing immense suffering. In some areas, they were also facing acute crisis of pure drinking water and dry food. Severe hillside and landslide are apprehended if the moderate-to-heavy rainfall continues. In some areas, the incidents of hillside were reported, but there was no report of causality. Farmers also apprehend of extensive damage of seasonal crops if the flood and the incessant rain continue in the districts. However, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) forecasts that the flood might worsen in southwestern districts of the country, as the moderate-to-heavy rainfall is likely to continue also for today (Friday).Md Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, Sub-divisional Engineer of the FFWC, on Thursday told The New Nation that the flood situation in the southwestern part has worsened due to the incessant rain following a cyclone in Odisha of India. The flood situation may further deteriorate in the region today (Friday), as heavy rainfall may continue there like Thursday, he added. He said that highest 420 millimeters 24-hour rainfall was recorded in Cox’s Bazar on Thursday. The Sangu, the Halda, the Matamuhuri and the other rivers, flown over Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and CHT districts, were flowing above the danger level. The Matamuhuri was following 96 cm above the danger level at Chiringa point while it was flowing above 80 cm at Lamapoint in Bandarban. The Halda was flowing above five cm at Naryanhat point. The FFWC official, however, said that the flood situation was not in severe condition in other parts of the country. The flood situation may improve further in the parts, as water level in the Padma, the Ganges, the Surma and the Kushiyara rivers were receding. However, the Brahmaputra, the Jamuna and the rivers in southeastern hill basins were in rising trend. In Bandarban, incessant rain over the last several days has led to flashflood by overflowing Sangu and Matamuhuri rivers and more than 21,000 families have been affected in five upazilas of the district. Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bandarban Mizanul Haque Chowdhury told media that road communications of the upazilas to the district headquarters have been cut off after the Bandarban-Rangamati and the Bandarban-Chittagong highways were flooded on Thursday morning. He also said that 450 families of Lama upazila, 15,000 of Naikkhanchharhi, 1100 in Alikadam and 53 families in Thanchhi were caught up in the floods. More than 100 houses in Bandarban district town were washed out in the flood. The DC said that they were working to move the residents to safer location. District administration and municipality authorities have opened six shelter centres for the flood-hit people. UNO of Sadar upazila Shafiqul Islam told the media that the administration has opened shelters in all primary schools in the district town for affected residents.OC of Bandarban Sadar Thana Md Imtiaj Ahmed said that the people, who had been living at foothills amid risk, were evacuated. In some areas, incidents of landslide were occurred but no casualty was reported, he added. The OCs Lama and Thanchi said that many areas of the thanas have gone under 5-8 feet water. General Secretary of Bandarban Bus Owners’ Association Jhantu Dash said that road communications between the district and other parts of the country remained suspended since Wednesday noon, as many roads have gone under floodwater. In Cox’s Bazar, the road communications of the district town with Chittagong and Bandarban were cut off aftewr the road went under water. Most of areas of the district went under floodwater. Different parts of Cox’s Bazar district town were submerged in knee-deep to ankle-deep water for heavy rainfall. The people of the town were facing acute crisis of dry food and pure drinking water. The fishing in the Bay of Bengal has been stopped. Thousands of fishermen returned from the sea on Wednesday and Thursday. In Chittagong, most of the city roads were submerged in knee-deep to ankle-deep water for heavy rainfall. A correspondent reports that Muradpur, Halishohor, Agrabad, Sholoshor, Khajapur, Hamzarbagh, Mohammadpur, Baklia and several other areas of the port city were facing waterlogged. The commuters had to cross the city roads facing the water logging. Water also entered in many houses of the city. The incessant rain also inundated low-lying areas of Hathazari, Fatikchari, Satkania, Chandanais and Bashkhali upazilas of the district. Floodwater entered residences in several areas of the upazilas. The flood damaged crops of thousands of hectares and rendered many people marooned. If the flood situation continues for several days or it worsens further, the farmers will face extensive loss. Incidents of hillside and landslide were also reported in several parts of the flood-affected upazilas. According the Met Office, over 150 millimeters of 24-hour rainfall was recorded in Chittagong district on Thursday. In Barisal, the incessant rains since Wednesday night inundated major parts of Barisal city, disrupting normal life and snapping road communication in some areas. Sadar Road, Battala, Bogra Road, Daptarkhana, Stadium Colony, Polashpur and Rasulpur have gone under water. Barisal Met office recorded 208 mm of rainfall in the city in 24 hours on Thursday.
