## Floods again in Sylhet due to heavy rains
## Teesta water in Rangpur is above danger level, areas flooded
## Landslide in Bandarban due to continuous rain
## Families in landslides fear in Khagrachari
Flooding has occurred again due to heavy rains and landslides from India. It has been raining heavily since Monday morning in Sylhet. At the same time, heavy rains continue in Cherrapunji, India. As a result, the hills water coming down from India have again flooded the border towns of Goainghat, Companyganj, Jaintapur and Kanighat areas. Various areas of the city were submerged due to continuous heavy rains from morning till evening yesterday. Roads are submerged and water rises in houses. Also, new areas of remote areas of the upazila have been flooded. People are running to shelters again. Due to the rains in the upstream, the water level of the rivers is gradually increasing. Especially the water of Lova and Dawki rivers is flowing in torrents. If the rain continues in Sylhet and Cherrapunji again, the locals have expressed fear that the lowlands of Sylhet will be flooded.
In the meantime, the water of Surma and Lova rivers water is entering in the locality at a rapid speed with at least 18 breaches of the Surma dauki in Kanighat, which has been affected by two rounds of floods. 9 union and municipal areas of the upazila have been submerged in flood water. According to Goainghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Touhidul Islam, the flood situation in the upazila is expected to deteriorate further due to heavy rains. He requested the residents to be alert in order to deal with the flood situation and for the safety of people's lives and property. He said those whose houses are likely to be submerged in the flood water, without wasting time, called on them to take shelter in safe shelters.
Meanwhile, 56 shelters have been prepared in the upazila. A team with a total of 47 boatmen has been kept ready to conduct rescue operations and relief operations.
Shah Mohammad Sajib Hossain, Assistant Meteorologist, Meteorological Department, Sylhet, said that the rainfall in Sylhet in the last 24 hours (6 pm to 6 am) was 39.6 mm. The amount of rainfall from 6 am to 6 pm yesterday alone was 156.8 mm. And from 3 pm to 6 pm, 79 millimeters of rain fell in a span of 3 hours. Cherrapunji also received 313 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, according to the India Meteorological Department website.
Cherrapunji received 186 mm of rainfall the previous day on June 30. That is why the water is coming down through the Mountain Rivers. According to the information of the Water Development Board (BWDB), on Saturday morning, Kushiara river water was flowing 81 cm above the flood line at Fenchuganj point. At 6 pm, the flow level has risen to over 88 cm. And again the water of Surma river crossed the water line again at Kanighat point at 6 pm by 102 cm and at the same time at Sylhet point Surma water was flowing 6 cm above the water line at 3 pm. Rising 28 cm above the danger line at 6pm. And Sari river water is flowing 35 cm above the flood limit at 6 pm.
During these few days, the water level of all the rivers except the Kushiara was below the flood limit. Only the water of the Kushiara River did not fall below the boundary line even once. As the rain continues again, the water level of various rivers in Sylhet has also increased and there is a danger of new floods in Sylhet region. At Fenchuganj point of Kushiara river, the water is above the danger level, so many areas are still flooded. And as the heavy rains started again, the number of people stuck in water is increasing. Water has already entered the lowlands. As a large part of Tahirpur road in the district has sunk again, direct traffic with the district city has stopped. Passengers and locals have to use boats for transportation. The Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rain in the region. According to the warning, heavy (44 to 88 mm of rain in 24 hours) to very heavy (above 89 mm in 24 hours) rains may occur in Sylhet division for the next 72 hours from 4 pm on Sunday. According to the information of Sylhet district administration, 7 lakh 73 thousand 6 people in 13 upazilas in the district are still under water till yesterday. There are 10,903 people in 219 of 653 shelters.
Teesta water level higher in Rangpur, areas inundated:
Due to heavy rains and runoff coming down from upstream, water is rising in rivers including Teesta in Rangpur. Meanwhile, the water of Teesta River has crossed the danger level at Kaunia Point. It has flooded the low-lying areas along the rivers. Also, many areas are at risk of erosion due to the rise and fall of Teesta water.
Water Development Board's Flood Forecasting and Warning Center sources said that since 3 pm at yesterday, water has been flowing 5 cm above the danger level at Kaunia Point of Rangpur on the Teesta River. Earlier, water flowed above the danger mark by 7 cm at 12 noon, 5 cm at 9 am and 2 cm at 6 am. With the rise of water in Teesta, some areas of Teesta River, Char and island Char of Kaunia, Pirgacha and Gangachra upazilas of Rangpur district have been flooded.
Along with this, various areas are facing erosion due to increasing water in Teesta river. Among them, Chilakhal Suryamukhi Kari Madrasa, Chilakhal Madhyapara Jame Masjid, North Chilakhal Government Primary School of Kolkond Union of Gangachara Upazila is under threat of demolition. There have already been reports of water seeping around houses in several Char areas. Rural roads have been submerged due to rising water. Crop lands including vegetable fields in those areas have been submerged.
Rabiul Islam, Executive Engineer of Water Development Board Rangpur, said that compared to the last few days, Teesta water has started increasing at Kaunia Point in Rangpur yesterday. All the gates of Dalia Barrage have been kept open to keep the situation normal. The situation on the banks of the Teesta River is being constantly monitored. Gangachara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nahid Tamanna said that during the monsoon season, the water level in the Teesta River tends to rise and fall. Due to which we are constantly monitoring the flood and erosion in the Teesta river area. If there is any problem, immediate action will be taken. There are all kinds of preparations for this.
Landslides risk in Bandarban due to rains:
There is a risk of landslides in the hilly district of Bandarban due to continuous rain. As a result, the people living at the heart of the mountain are in fear. Landslides can cause casualties at any time. Thousands of people in different areas of the upazila including Tanki Pahar, Balaghata, Kalaghata, Islampur, Hafezghona, Banrupa para are in panic. Apart from this, due to heavy rainfall, the water level of Sangu and Matamuhuri rivers has increased and there is a danger of flooding. If the rain continues, the lower part of the city may be submerged in water. Bandarban has been receiving moderate and heavy rain since morning yesterday. 108 mm of rain was recorded till 6 am.
At least 63 people have lost their lives in landslides in Bandarban district in the last five years. Only last year, 10 people lost their lives in landslides. Hundreds of thousands of people are still living dangerously on hundreds of hills in Bandarban. New illegal structures are being built almost every day. At that time, the administration talked about various plans to reduce the death due to landslides, but none of them were implemented.
Kuhlang UP Chairman Mongpu Marma said, "Due to moderate to heavy rains in adverse weather conditions, people living at the foot of the hill have been asked to be careful by miking in Kuhlang Union since last Sunday."
Mahabubul Islam, Chief Scientific Officer of Bandarban Soil Conservation Institute said, 'The hills may slide due to continuous moderate to heavy rains for the past few days. That is why everyone has been asked to be careful.
Sanatan Kumar Mondal, officer-in-charge of the Bandarban Meteorological Department, said, "According to the weather forecast, there is a possibility of moderate to heavy rain for 72 hours. A total of 108 mm of rain has been recorded in the last 24 hours. Apart from this, due to heavy rainfall, the water level of Sangu and Matamuhuri rivers has increased and there is a risk of flooding. If the rain continues, the low-lying areas of the city may be submerged in water.
Mayor of Bandarban Municipality Shamsul Islam said, 'Miking is being done in the municipal area from Sunday to move the people living in the dangerous areas to safe places. 19 temporary shelters have been opened in the municipal area and adequate supply of dry food has been kept ready. And the next step will be taken by discussing with the district administration about those living at risk at the foot of the hill.
Bandarban District Commissioner Shah Mujahid Uddin said, 'Miking has been made to take precautions and go to safe shelters in every union including the district city to move the vulnerable residents to safe shelters in the mountains. In seven upazilas of the district, 214 government primary schools have been declared as shelters. Earlier, on June 29, one person died in a landslide in Naikshyongchari.
Families fear of landslides in Khagrachari:
More than a thousand families are living under the risk of landslides in Khagrachari. When the heavy rain started last Sunday night, efforts have been started to evacuate the people living at risk since yesterday morning. District administration officials visited Shalbon, Comillatila, Sabujbagh and Mohammadpur of Khagrachari Sadar in the afternoon. The foothills and those living at risk are requested to evacuate to shelters along with local public representatives. Meanwhile, there was a landslide in Shalban around 4 pm, but no one was injured.
Khagrachari Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Naima Islam said that shelters have been prepared for the landslide-prone and flood-affected areas of Khagrachari Municipal Town including 10 districts. No one wants to come to the shelter as there is less rain since morning. Rezaul Karim, councilor of Ward No. 6 of Khagrachari Municipality, said that since the rains started, the people living in the dangerous areas of Shalban are being instructed to move. Even though two shelters are ready, no one is going to talk about cattle being in trouble.
Meanwhile, the local administration has no real information about how many families are at risk in 9 upazilas of Khagrachari due to landslides. However, local environmentalists claim that this number is over a thousand. Pradeep Chowdhury, president of Khagrachhari Environment Movement, said that despite the massive loss of life in the Chittagong Hill Tracts like 2017, awareness has not increased. People are still building settlements by cutting mountains. Local administration should be more proactive. Otherwise, a terrible disaster will come here in the near future.
Besides, heavy rain since last night caused waterlogging in Mahalchari 24 mile area of Khagrachari-Rangamati regional road and traffic was stopped till 2 pm. These road users suffer. But after 3 pm the situation became normal.
ZH
