Relentless rain triggers flash floods in Feni

Incessant rains for the past few days have triggered flash flooding in Feni's Fulgazi and Parshuram upazilas.

Thousands of residents were marooned yesterday after breaches in the embankments of the Muhuri, Selonia, and Kohua rivers submerged at least 30 villages in those two upazilas.

Those stranded are struggling to cook meals and access safe drinking water.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) attributes the ongoing deluge to an active monsoon system and a persistent low-pressure area affecting not just Feni but also other coastal and hilly districts.

Torrential downpours have battered Patuakhali, Cox's Bazar, Chattogram, Barishal, Khulna, Noakhali, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, and Rangamati, inundating low-lying areas and leaving thousands of people in distress.

As of now, flooding has affected Patuakhali, Khulna, Feni, and Noakhali the most, damaging standing crops and fish enclosures in the regions.

The BMD said yesterday that the rain is expected to continue for a few more days. Out of 75 monitoring stations across the country, 22 stations recorded "heavy rainfall" (above 48 mm in 24 hours).

The BMD also issued landslide warnings for the hilly regions of Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, and the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

A bulletin by the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) mentions heavy rainfall in several places in neighbouring Indian states, including Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and West Bengal.

Contacted, FFWC Executive Engineer Sarder Uday Raihan said, "The water level in the Halda river is expected to cross the danger marks on Thursday. Due to continuous rains, water levels in all major rivers have been increasing. However, chances of a large-scale flooding are low at the moment."

He further said the flood situation in Feni might begin improving from Friday.

Sources at the Feni district administration said Aman seedbeds and vegetable fields have been submerged, and fish from enclosures have been washed away in the flooded villages.

Abul Hashem, a resident of Paschim Alka village in Parshuram, said, "We still haven't recovered from the extensive damage caused by last year's flood. And now, we're facing another flood. Fish from the pond in front of my house have been washed away, the seedbed is submerged, and water has entered our home. Our houses are on the verge of going under.

"We are on the brink of losing everything. We want a permanent solution."

Feni Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam earlier told this newspaper that around 12,000 people have been marooned in parts of Fulgazi and Parshuram. Of them, 347 people from 115 families have taken shelter in various relief centres.

PORT CITY WATERLOGGED

In Chattogram, many low-lying areas of the city went under knee-to-waist-deep water amid heavy rains. Areas like Chawkbazar, Bakalia, Agrabad, Halishahar, GEC Intersection, Kapasgola, Shulakbahar, Chandgaon, and Katalganj are among the worst affected.

Abdur Rahman, a meteorologist at the Patenga office of BMD, said the city recorded 160 millimetres of rainfall in the 24 hours leading up to 3:00pm yesterday.

Similarly, heavy rainfall has been recorded in Bardarban, Khagrachhari, and Rangamati, causing waterlogging in the low-lying areas in those districts.

Some 6,558 families live in risky areas on the slopes of 26 hills, said the Chattogram district administration, adding that they were asked to leave their homes for safety because of the rain, but many did not listen.

HIGHEST RAINFALL

Patuakhali is the worst affected in the Barishal division, as 275 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in the district in the last 24 hours ending at 9:00pm on Tuesday -- the highest single-day rainfall ever recorded in the district's history, said Md Rahat Hossain, a local weather observer.

Continuous downpours have left large parts of the Patuakhali municipality waterlogged. Many roads remain submerged, severely disrupting daily activities, particularly in low-lying neighbourhoods.

"My fish enclosure and pond have been submerged. Many of the fish have washed away. I've suffered a huge loss," said Rahim Sikder, a resident of the Bara Bighai area in Sadar upazila.

In Barishal and Bhola, many low-lying areas in the city have been submerged under two to three feet of water.

Educational institutions, including Government BM College and several girls' high schools, have experienced flooding on their premises.

Water Development Board Assistant Engineer Tazul Islam said the Meghna River at Tazumuddin point is flowing 4cm above the danger level.

In Khulna, heavy rains have caused damage to vegetable crops.

"I had planted early-season beans along the edges of my fish enclosures. The plants have suffered badly due to the rain, and proper pollination is no longer possible," said Abu Hanif Moral, a farmer from Baratia village in Dumuria upazila.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension in Khulna, currently there are 18,917 hectares of standing crops, of which about 1,100 hectares have been initially affected.

In Noakhali, continuous rainfall over the last three days has led to severe waterlogging in the district town and various upazilas.

Due to inadequate drainage, various roads in the district town of Maijdee are submerged under one and a half to two feet of water.

In response to the situation, the District Secondary Education Office has announced the suspension of ongoing midterm examinations in various educational institutions in Subarnachar, Kabirhat, Companiganj, and Senbag upazilas.

Shelter centres have been opened in Subarnachar, Kabirhat, and Companiganj as water has entered residential homes.