Sylhet Bureau

The flood situation in Sylhet district, fuelled by cyclone Remal, has worsened significantly over the last 24 hours, marooning over 5.5 lakh people in Seven upazilas bordering India.

Due to the severity of the crisis, Sylhet City Corporation authorities have cancelled weekend holidays of all staff, while entry bans have been imposed on tourist sites.

The low-lying areas of Sylhet city have been submerged as hilly water for the last two days till friday morning caused waterlogging, mounting suffering to the city dwellers as most city streets are now under knee-deep water.

According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BEDB), the water level of the Surma river at Sylhet point may cross danger level in next 24 hours and flood situation in Sylhet district may deteriorate. However, in the next 24 to 48 hours, the flood situation may improve.

It stated in its bulletin that water level in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna rivers are in rising trend and may continue in the next 48 hours.

But, the water level of the Ganges-Padma rivers are in falling trend and may continue in the next 48 hours. The FFWC also forecast that the major rivers in the north-eastern region of the country are in rising trend, which may continue in the next 48 hours.

At Kanaighat the water of the Surma River was flowing at 167cm above the water line around 4:00pm on Thursday.

As the water of the Surma River entered through the dyke and erosion, the entire upazila went under water.

On the other hand, the upazila administration has opened a monitoring cell to deal with the overall flood situation and called people to stay in shelters. Since Wednesday (May 30) night, the people of the affected houses, who were trapped in the water, started moving to safe shelters on boats and on rafts made of banana plants. Hundreds of men, women, and children have taken up residence in local permanent shelters and educational institutions.

Regarding the flood situation, Kanaighat Upazila Executive Officer Farzana Nasrin said necessary measures have been taken to deal with the flood situation. The concerned people are working to rescue people trapped in water.

The same flood situation was seen in Gowainghat Upazila. Most of the upazila has been inundated by landslides and rainwater. More than 150 boats of Jaflong tourist ghat and local boats of each union are being used to rescue people trapped in water. A large number of flood-affected people have also taken shelter in the safe high-rise buildings of their relatives. A total of 1,660 hectares of arable land crops are submerged in water.

Gowainghat Upazila Executive Officer Md Towhidul Islam said the upazila administration, local union council chairmen, and UP members are working to rescue the people trapped in the water.

Meanwhile, at least 40 to 50 villages have been flooded after dyke broke in several places of the Surma-Kushiara river in Zakiganj of Sylhet due to the water flow downhill from the Barak River in India. Water started entering different areas of the upazila from Wednesday night. The people of the upazila rushed to seek safe shelter due to the sudden severe flood late at night. Due to the water entering the houses, the people with their domestic animals are in trouble.

Zakiganj Upazila Executive Officer Afsana Tasnim said the control room had been opened in the upazila headed by the project implementation officer. A total of 55 shelters have been prepared in different areas. Many families have already taken shelter there.

Heavy rains and water flowing from upstream have triggered floods in Sylhet, submerging at least five upazilas and leaving around three lakh people stranded in floodwaters. The water levels of all the rivers in Sylhet have already crossed the danger limit. So far, 470 shelters have been opened in the district and the army is on standby for rescue operations, officials say.

However, residents of the affected areas report being unable to reach the shelters due to a lack of boats. Overflowing rivers are breaching embankments, worsening the situation. Vehicle movement has been disrupted as many roads are submerged. The local administrations have urged tourists to avoid certain tourist centres, including Jaflong and Sadapathar.

Residents of the affected areas say the water flow from upstream began to increase with heavy rain starting last Monday, causing water levels to rise gradually. However, the rate of rise accelerated unusually from Wednesday afternoon onwards.

Overnight on Wednesday, most areas of the five affected upazilas – Gowainghat, Jaintapur, Companyganj, Kanaighat, and Jokiganj – were submerged. Water entered many houses during the night, rising up to neck level in some points. The sudden inundation caused panic among residents, prompting many to seek help on Facebook for rescue.

Sajidur Rahman, a resident of Mainarhat Kheyaghat area in Jaintapur, said, "Around 11pm, the water in the house rose above knee level. However, no boats were available to take the women and children to a safe place. In such a situation, I posted on Facebook seeking help."

Sajidur said locals later rescued his family that night. Officials say the Indian states of Meghalaya and Assam lie upstream of Sylhet. When these states experience heavy rainfall, the rainwater flows towards Sylhet.

Due to the impact of Cyclone Remal, Meghalaya has had heavy rain for the past few days, resulting in flooding in all the unions of Seven upazilas bordering Sylhet. Abdul Quddus Bulbul, Sylhet district relief and rehabilitation officer, said, "Among the five most affected upazilas, 56 shelters have been opened in Gowainghat, 48 in Jaintapur, 18 in Kanaighat, 35 in Companyganj, and 58 in Jokiganj."

The Rustampur, Lengura, Daubari, Nandirgaon, East and West Alirgaon, West Jaflong, and Madhya Jaflong unions of Gowainghat upazila have been the most affected by the flood. Many residents have taken refuge in shelter centres. However, many are struggling with their cattle and paddy stocks.

Faizur Rahman, resident of the Rustampur area, said, "Water entered the house last night. I have moved the children and women to a safe place, but I couldn't leave because of the cattle. I can't take the cows anywhere since all the surrounding areas are submerged." "If this continues for two more days, there will be a shortage of cattle feed," he added.

Due to the subsidence of the Salutikar-Gowainghat road in this upazila, traffic has stopped, cutting off communications with the upazila headquarters.

Out of the nine unions in Kanaighat upazila, Lakshiprasad East, Lakshiprasad West, Kanaighat Sadar, and Dakshin Banigram have been the most severely flooded.

Locals warn that if the heavy rains and water flow from upstream continue, Kanaighat could experience severe floods. Kanaighat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Farzana Nasreen said the sudden downpour has caused the water levels of the Surma and Lova rivers to rise, leading to floods. All the shelter centres in the upazila have been prepared to manage the flooding.

Shah Mohammad Sajib Hossain, assistant meteorologist at the Sylhet Meteorological Office, said the rain will continue in Sylhet. This month, 705 millimetres of rain have fallen in Sylhet, compared to 330 millimetres in May of last year.

He also mentioned that there is a possibility of rain in Sylhet for the next three days, accompanied by temporary gusty winds and light to moderate rainfall.

Sylhet Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Mobarak Hossain said the district administration has made all necessary preparations to manage the flash flood situation. All UNOs have been instructed to supervise operations around the clock.

He also mentioned that the army is on standby to rescue people trapped in the water and will act if necessary.