M M Jasim :The flood-affected people are passing their days in miseries, as dwelling houses of many of them have been badly damaged, and are living on the high land. In this situation, they need temporary shelters, dry food, pure drinking water and medicine. Kamal Uddin, a resident of Munshirhat under Fulgazi upazila in Feni, told The New Nation that they were left marooned by flood for five days. “We cannot go for regular jobs. Supply of dry food, pure drinking water and medicine are inadequate. Now we are really helpless,” Kamal said. Anurag Chakma, a resident from Balaghata in Bandarban district, said, “I along with my family members are living in a school, as my house had been damaged and is still surrounded by floodwater. There is no dry food and drinking water. We are passing days with much difficulties. We need help to survive.” The government has sent a total of 125 tons of rice and Tk two lakh and fifty thousand in cash for the flood-affected people in Bandarban. There are 50,000 people living in the hill district. A man will get Tk 5 and 2.30 kg of rice, which is insufficient for the affected people. Mayor of Bandarban Municipality Javed Reza said, the government allocation for the flood-affected people is inadequate. “We are trying to help them. “I urge the government to allocate more for the people of Bandarban,” Javed said. Five centres have been opened to shelter those who are at risk, he added. Meanwhile, the flood intensifies in Comilla and Laxmipur. About 500 villages have been inundated and thousands of people marooned. Road communications in most of the upazilas of the districts have been snapped with the district headquarters, while the electricity has also been cut in most of the flood-hit areas. The local administrations made the educational institutions as shelter center in which the people can pass their crucial days safely. In Comilla: about 400 villages of Chauddagram, Nangolkot, Monoharganj and Laksham upazilas have been inundated due to heavy rain during the last couple of days. The flood-affected areas in Chauddagram upazila are Uzirpur, Kashinagar, Koptapowt, Shuvopur, Sripur, Batisha, Munshirhat, Jagannathdighi, Gunobati and Alkara. The affected areas of Nangolkot upazila are 30 villages of Banggodda union, 30 of Raykot, 20 of Peria, 12 of Mowkora, 25 of Satbaria, 15 of Jodda, 20 of Heshakhal and 15 of Dolkhal. UNO Saidul Arif of Nangolkot Upazila said they had distributed huge quantities of relief to the people of this area. They have planned to distribute more relief also, he said. The Monoharganj upazila is now under the water. Thousands of people have been marooned here. They cannot move anywhere. The flood-affected areas of the upazila are 23 villages under Baishgaon Union, 16 under Soreshpur union, 28 under Hasnabad, 15 under Jholom (North), 14 under Jholom (South), 21 under Moishatua, 13 under North Hawla, 10 under Khila, 10 under Natherpetua and nine villages under Bipulashar union. Batakhali, South Gazimura, Gunoti, Pearapur, Tagorepara, South Kandirpar and North Mohammadpur areas have been inundated by the floodwater. In Chittagong, the incessant rainfall for the last few days paralysed the civic life of the port city. Low-lying areas of the city have been inundated from ankle-deep to knee-deep water. The sufferings of the low lying areas enhanced following the high tide in the sea, as the tide water entered the city through different passages. Ground floors of most buildings in these areas went under knee-deep to waist deep water. Kitchen markets at Chalkbazar, Bahaddarhat, Reazuddin Bazaar, Bibirhat, Boxirhat, Bangla Bazaar are the worst affected as their merchandise flown away with ebb tide. Beside the city areas, different upazilas in the North and the South Chittagong were submerged with floodwater. The highway of Chittagong-Bandarban remained without any traffic movement and the Rangamati highway remained suspended as the floodwater was flowing over the road. Some portions of Cox’s Bazar highway were under the knee-deep water in the morning. Thousands of people of the district have been marooned with floodwater, District Control Room sources said. In Feni, at least 200 villages of different upazilas in the district went under water, as the embankment on the River Matamuhuri breached at Sahapara and Uttar Daulatpur points due to heavy rainfall and pressure of high tide. Ramzan Ali, Executive Engineer of Water Development Board in Feni, said that the engineers of Water Development Board went to the flood-affected areas and took initiatives to reduce the sufferings of the people. Talking with The New Nation, Md Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, Sub-divisional Engineer of the FFWC, said on Tuesday that the Karnafuli, the Feni and other rivers, were flowing above the danger level at different points. The water level will rise further in the rivers.Several thousand families are living under the risk of landslide in the hilly areas of Islampur, Bonorupa, Hafezghona, Balaghata, Kalaghata, Langipara and Bus Station in the district Bandarban.The Met office has advised the maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra to hoist local cautionary Signal No. three following a depression over the Bay of Bengal.The monsoon depression over the North Bay and adjoining Bangladesh coast remained practically stationary over the same area. Under its influence, squally weather may affect the North Bay, adjoining coastal area of Bangladesh and the maritime ports.It said, the monsoon depression is likely to intensify further.Maximum sustained wind speed within 44 kms of the depression centre is about 40 kph rising to 50 kph in gusts/squalls. Sea will remain moderate near the depression centre. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to remain in shelter until further notice. They are also advised not to venture to the deep sea. The rain has made vehicular movement difficulties, as some of the roads in Chittagong, Comilla, Chandpur, Faridpur and Jhenidah got submerged. The river waters of Kangsha, Sangu and Matamuhuri were flowing above the danger level between 17 centimetres and 163 centimetres. Water levels at 21 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked rises and 60 stations recorded falls. Among the 84 monitored water level stations, 10 are above danger level, a bulletin issued by FFWC said yesterday.The Brahmaputra and Jamuna are in rising trend which may likely to continue in the next 48 hours.But the water level in Ganges-Padma is falling which is likely to continue in the next 24 hours. The Surma-Kushiyara river systems are in falling trend and it may likely to continue during the next 48 hours.According to the information of Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the south eastern part of the country has experienced heavy rainfall which may continue in the next 24 hours.As a result, the flood situation in some areas of Feni, Bandarban, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar districts may further deteriorate in the next 24 hours.A total of 251mm rainfall was recorded during the last 24 hours ending at 6am yesterday at Lama, 225.8 mm at Teknaf, 216mm at Chittagong, 161mm at Cox’s Bazar, 152 mm at Bandarban, 123mm at Panchoukuria, 110 mm at Rangamati, 105 mm at Ramgarh, 87.4 mm at Noakhali, 71mm at Patuakhali, 40 mm at Khulna and 40 mm at Comilla, 35.5 at Narayanhat and 34mm at Bhagyakul.Shah Alam, an official of the Bangladesh Met Office, said that the heavy rainfall might continue until the month end.
