Flooding in Sylhet city worsens

More areas of Sylhet city are getting flooded.

Parts of the city were flooded Thursday night and the situation was deteriorating. The Surma was flowing above the danger level there.

Sunil Singha of Machimpur neighbourhood in Sylhet city told this paper that he woke up to 2 inches of water in front of his house yesterday morning.

Taltala, Mendibagh, Machimpur, Terorotan, Taltala, Jatarpur, Upashahar and other adjacent areas were yesterday found flooded.

Sylhet city's fire service and civil defence station at Taltala was flooded, and the firemen had to relocate their essential equipment.

Sahadat Hosain, of Taltala area, said water of the Surma was flooding the low-lying areas via the drainage network and canals.

Executive Engineer Deepak Ranjan Dash of Sylhet Water Development Board said Surma was flowing 83cm above the danger level in Kanaighat and the Kushiara was 193cm above at Amalshid, causing the flooding in Sylhet.

According to the district administration, 6,09,733 people in 59 unions of Sadar, Companiganj, Goainghat, Jaintapur, Kanighat, Jokiganj, Beanibazar and Golapganj upazilas and 9 wards of Sylhet city were flood affected.

At least 550 shelters have been opened in the district in which 3,342 people moved in.

Deputy Commissioner Sheikh Russel Hasan said the lower areas of Sylhet city, Beanibazar and Golapganj upazilas were flooded again due to onrush of water from upstream.

Yesterday morning, former foreign minister Abdul Momen MP visited the flood-affected area in ​​the suburbs. He blamed the Surma not being dredged for the flooding.

He said the river dredging project was taken up and work had begun but, after a few days, it was shut down for various reasons.

Had the job been completed, the water would have drained quickly, he said.

Sylhet City Corporation opened a 24-hour control room (01958284800) for emergency services of the city dwellers.