Sylhet marooned: power cut off, rail, emergency services halted
Army, navy, coast guard, local public representatives along with volunteers running rescue operations
The flood situation of the country's northeast region has further deteriorated leaving over 30 lakh people marooned in different upazilas and towns.
Niloy Pasha, deputy assistant engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in Sylhet, said there will be no improvement in the flood situation if the rain does not stop upstream.
Members of the army, navy, coast guard, local public representatives along with volunteers have been running rescue operations since Satruday to save those stranded in remote areas.
Kumargaon 132/33 KV grid substation, which supplies electricity to the two districts, had to be shut down after floodwater entered its control room.
Speaking with The Business Standard, Mohammad Abdul Qadir, chief engineer of Sylhet Power Development Board, said, "Water has entered the switch room of the station. This is why we had to shut down the substation at around 12:15pm on Saturday.
"Power supply to Sylhet and Sunamganj is now suspended."
However, efforts are underway to quickly pump out the water from the facility to restore power supply to the flood-affected areas, he added.
However, many in Companiganj have complained that no one from the administration has offered aid and they were unable to establish contact with them.
Responding to such allegations, Companiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Lusikanta Hajong said that the road communication of Companiganj with Sylhet has collapsed due to flood waters.
"Even the mobile phone network is not working properly."
"As a part of the rescue operation, tall buildings in the upazila are being used as shelters and the administration is working to provide emergency food aid to the victims," he added.
When contacted, Sylhet Deputy Commissioner (SC) Mohammad Mojibur Rahman said that the UNOs in Companiganj and Gowainghat have been asked to buy boats in order to conduct rescue operations in the waterlogged areas.
"They have also been allocated a budget for this reason," the DC added.
Furthermore, floodwater has entered the Sylhet Railway Station forcing authorities to stop trains leaving from Dhaka and Chattogram at the Maijgaon Railway Station.
Nurul Islam, Station manager of Sylhet station, said, "The Sylhet Railway Station is now underwater. All trains have been instructed to end their journey at the Maijgaon station."
Also, a rail bridge collapsed in Netrakona's Mohanganj upazila in flood water, suspending the communication with rest of the parts of the country.
Bridge No 34 in the Islampur area, located in the middle of Mohanganj and Atitpur rail station, collaped Friday night, Golam Rabbani, the Barhatta railway station master, confirmed.
Due this two trains are now stuck at Mohanganj and Barhatta stations, he added.
According to official data, water level of River Someshwari, at the Kolmakanda point, is flowing 100cm above the danger level. Whereas, River Kangsha is flowing 8cm above the danger level at Zaria Point.
Nearly 40 unions under six upazilas in the district have been inundated, Netrokona Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anjana Khan Majlish noted adding that a total of 1,088 shelters have been opened in the area.
Meanwhile, floods triggered by incessant rain and onrush of water from upstream hills have split a road into two at Ariyal village adjacent to Colonel Bazar in Moniyanda union of Akhaura upazila in Brahmanbaria.
As a result, the area has been disconnected from the rest of the country.
According to locals, it has been raining continuously for the last two days.
Water coming down from upstream hills of Tripura in India is making things worse.
Akhaura has been inundated since yesterday and most of the locals are still marooned, reports our correspondent after visiting the flood-affected areas.
Moniyanda union parishad (UP) Chairman Mahbubul Alam Chowdhury Deepak said that necessary steps are being taken to help the people suffering from the flood.
The deputy commissioner of the district will also visit the affected areas today (18 June), Mahbubul added.
Over 500 people of three unions -- Dakshin Maijpara, Ghoshgaon and Purakandulia -- in Mymensingh have been freshly marooned.
Making matters worse, an embankment on River Netai has collapsed because of the continuous rain.
Chairman of Dakshin Maijpara UP Humayun Sarkar said that the area's flood situation started worsening on Friday.
"The homes and valuables of people are being swept away by the onrush of water. We collecting information about the victims," he added.
Dhobaura UNO Faujia Nazneen said that at least five hundred people are currently stranded in the flood.
They are being provided with food aid by the local administration, she said adding that total 10 tonnes of rice and Tk2 lakh have been sought from the Mymensingh DC to assist the flood-hit people.
'Increased rainfall may worsen flood situation in next 3 days'
The world's leading weather forecast models have indicated the possibility of further deterioration of the ongoing flood situation in the Sylhet division in the next three days due to increased rainfall.
As per the latest data from international weather forecast models, about 600-1,100mm of rain is expected in the next three days in the mountainous region of Meghalaya bordering Sylhet and Sunamganj districts.
"These weather forecasting models can provide data with up to 80-90% accuracy for up to three days," said Mostafa Kamal Polash, a PhD researcher on weather and climate at Saskatchewan University in Canada.
There is a possibility of 600mm rain in the next three days according to the European Union (EU) model, about 500mm rain according to the US model and about 1,100 mm rain according to the UK model, he said.
Polash also warned that in the next three days, 400 to 600mm of rain is expected in the River Brahmaputra basin in the Indian state of Assam.
"As a result, there is a strong possibility of floods in the districts along the Teesta and the Jamuna rivers by next Sunday," he added.
