Many without power and road communication as heavy rain floods Sunamganj

Heavy rain from India’s Meghalaya has submerged half of Sunamganj district town. Nearly 70 percent of the border Upazila Chhatak is flooded, leaving thousands stranded. The nearby Upazila Dowarabazar is also heavily flooded, submerging village roads.

As a result, Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board customers in the district have been without power for two days. Landslides and heavy rains have blocked the Chhatak-Sylhet road and disrupted communication on the Jamalganj-Sunamganj, Tahirpur-Bishwambarpur, Janigaon-Joynagar, and Sunamganj-Dowarabazar roads.

Boats are now navigating the roads in Sunamganj and Chhatak. The district administration reports that flood-affected residents are moving to local shelters.

On Tuesday afternoon, many areas, including the Sunamganj Chest Disease Clinic, food warehouse, and fertiliser warehouse, were flooded. Water has entered the food storage rooms, raising concerns about potential spoilage if levels rise further.

Sunamganj's top administrator, Mohammad Rashed Iqbal Chowdhury, said: "Flood centres have been opened in every Upazila. Relief supplies, dry food, and cash have been distributed. We’ve informed higher authorities for more help."

The deputy commissioner also said flood victims are taking refuge in the flood centres in Sunamganj and Chhatak.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board said water levels in all rivers in the northeastern part of the country, except for the Manu and Khowai rivers, are rising.

Heavy rains and upstream flows are worsening the flood situation in Sylhet and Sunamganj, and low-lying areas of Netrokona and Moulvibazar are also at risk.

Five rivers in the northeastern part of the country are flowing above the danger level at eight points. The Meteorological Office has forecast heavy rain for the next two to three days.

Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, the world's highest rainfall area, is located near Chhatak and Dowarabazar Upazila of Sunamganj.

It takes four hours for water from Cherrapunji to reach Chhatak and Dowarabazar, and six hours to reach Sunamganj town.

Residents are recalling the severe flood of June 2022 with fear.

The Surma River was on Tuesday flowing 67cm above the danger level at Shologhar point in Sunamganj and 155cm above at Chhatak point, according to Mamun Howladar, executive engineer of BWDB's Sunamganj unit.

He said Sunamganj received 65mm of rain in the last 24 hours. Water levels in the Jadukata, Chalti, Someswari, Khasiamara, and Old Surma rivers are also rising.

Despite less rainfall locally, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya has experienced heavy rains, with 395mm recorded from 9am Monday to 9am Tuesday, following 126mm and 441mm on the two previous days respectively.

The flood has caused houses and roads to be submerged and has led to damage in border areas.

Anwarul Islam Pramanik, the executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department in Sunamganj, said: "The Chhatak-Sylhet-Gobindaganj road and the Sunamganj-Jamalganj road are closed due to flooding. Other roads have also been affected."

Sunamganj-5 Constituency MP Mohibur Rahman Manik said Dowarabazar and Chhatak Upazila were the most affected. The dam of the Khasiamara River broke, damaging houses, roads, and croplands in some border unions.

"In the morning, 70 percent of the houses in Chhatak town were submerged. The rising water is causing more damage. I have urged officials to send people to shelters and provide relief to the flood victims," said the MP.

Salehin Chowdhury Shuvo, executive director of Haor Area Upliftment Society, stated that river filling and the construction of dams and roads have reduced the water-holding capacity of the Surma River, worsening the flood situation.

He believes the heavy rains in Cherrapunji are the main cause of the floods in Sunamganj.

Local businessman Shubho Banik said more than 50 percent of the city's roads and houses are flooded, affecting areas such as Moddhobazar, Paschim Bazar, Sahebbari Ghat, Ukilpara, Kazir Point, Nabinagar, and Barapara.

He said dredging the canals flowing through Sunamganj city would improve water drainage.