Rain in Sylhet may worsen flooding, says Water Development Board

Parts of the city began flooding when it began to rain heavily in the early hours of Monday

Several hours of heavy rain have submerged parts of Sylhet, causing suffering for city dwellers as the water pours onto roads, into houses, and even hospitals.

It began to rain heavily around 1am on Monday and continued until 9am, but the intensity eased as the dawn approached. The rain caused the water to rise.

Shah Mohammad Sajib Hossain, an assistant meteorologist at the Sylhet Meteorological Department, said 226 mm of rain had been recorded in the last 24 hours in Sylhet. Of that, 28 mm was recorded from 6am to 9am on Monday.

Sylhet had seen flooding and waterlogging for several days due to heavy rain and water flowing downstream. The rain had eased and things had looked to turn around in the past two days.

However, the Bangladesh Water Development Board has expressed concern that the flood situation may worsen due to the recent downpour.

The rains flooded over 100 houses in the town’s Taltala, the Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital area, Dariapara, Beterbazar, Shibganj, Majortila, Patantula, Chalibandar, Bagbari, Jatanpur, Kazir Bazar, Sheikh Ghat, Kalapara, Pirmahalla, Masimpur, Chararpar, Aushkandi, Upashahar and Badambagicha.

The water of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers has been flowing above the danger level since the morning, causing knee to waist-high flooding in some parts of the city’s uptown area.

In addition to the city’s houses, the rain also caused flooding in the city’s Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, causing additional distress to patients and difficulties for hospital authorities.

The hospital’s Deputy Director Dr Saumitra Chakravarty said, “All places inside and outside the hospital have been flooded. Medical service is being disrupted because of that.”

“We are struggling to deal with patients who were on the floor as the water also gotten in, especially at the hospital’s ward No. 7. Patients are being treated two to a bed now.”

The flooding also hit the hospital’s Pathology Department and Administrative Block, the physician said.

Cherrapunji in India’s Meghalaya state has recorded 122 mm of rain in the last 24 hours.

The water in Sylhet city is not moving down to the Surma River due to the rain, said Dipak Ranjan Das, executive engineer of Sylhet Water Development Board.

“Different areas of the city are being flooded due to the rain. The situation in the city may worsen if the rain continues.”

Dipak said, “The water of the Surma has been flowing 13 cm above the danger level at Sylhet city point and 60 cm above the level at Kanaighat point.”

“And the Kushiyara has been flowing 60 cm above the danger level at Zakiganj point. The water of the city’s other rivers is below the danger level.”