Fear of fresh flooding grips Sylhet as rivers swell again
Rivers in the northeastern district of Sylhet swelled following three days of heavy rains in the region and upstream in India, raising fear of another round of flooding this year.
Incessant rains since early Saturday sent many parts Sylhet city under knee-deep water. Vast areas of the city have been hit by acute waterlogging. Water has also entered households and shops, causing immense sufferings to people living in low-lying areas.
Locals complained that waterlogging happened due to poor drainage system in the city.
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"A downpour for a couple of hours inundates most of the city areas due to incomplete drainage works. Besides, rainwater can't pass as local influential people have filled up almost all the water bodies," said Kawsar Mia, a city resident.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC), water level is rising fast in rivers flowing through Sylhet and Sunamganj. A temporary flooding is likely to affect these two districts within this week. However, the losses will be minimal as no crop is currently being cultivated in the division's Haor areas.
"The current bout of rain will continue till September 6, while another round may drench Sylhet division next week," said Saeed Ahmad Chowdhury, a senior meteorologist at Sylhet Meteorological Center.
Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, an executive engineer of FFWC, said that another round of flooding is on the horizon.
"Heavy rain is ongoing upstream. As a result, floodwater will continue inundating the Teesta basin and Sylhet division for most of this week. But the increased level of water won't last long," Arif said.
According to forecast by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), seasonal air will cause rain in Sylhet division for the next few days. Besides, a forecast from Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB) has said that water level in almost all the rivers of the country will rise due to excessive rain in the upstream.
In June, a record-level flooding inundated almost 80 percent area of Sylhet division. The deluge that ravaged the region from June to August claimed more than 80 lives and forced many to flee their flooded homes and take shelter on highways and buildings in whatever little dry places were left.
