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Published : 20 Jun 2025, 03:21 PM
At least nine villages in Feni have been flooded after two embankments of the Muhuri and Silonia rivers were breached after to continuous rain and mountain runoff. The embankment of the Silonia River in Parshuram Upazila has also overflowed, allowing water into the locality.
The embankment of the Silonia River started overflowing from Thursday afternoon and breaches formed in the Muhuri and Silonia embankments overnight, said Feni Water Development Board (WBD) Deputy Divisional Engineer Md Abul Kashem.
He said that the water in the Muhuri, Silonia and Kahua rivers began to rise due to continuous rain and mountain runoff for several days.
A 50-metre section of the flood control embankment of the Muhuri River in Fulgazi Sadar Upazila’s Banik Para village broke down under the pressure of the water after 10pm on Thursday.
Later, several metres of a section of the Silonia River embankment in the Gosaipur area broke down, allowing water to rise in several villages in the area.
Shahab Uddin, a local resident of Fulgazi, said that water entered through the broken section of the embankment and flooded the villages of Uttar Baraiya, Dakshin Baraiya, Banipara, Bijoypur, Basantapur, Jagatpur, Gosaipur, Nilkhi, and Kariya in the Upazila.
Moran Chandra, a resident of Baraiya, said: “Since Thursday night, the river water has entered the house, trapping everyone inside, including the children. All the furniture in the house is drenched. Since the stove cannot be lit, we haven’t been able to cook since last night.”
On Thursday evening water also overflowed the Fulgazi Bazar guard wall next to the Muhuri River and entered the market. Although Fulgazi Bazar was submerged in knee-deep water overnight, the water receded after Friday morning.
Kabir Ahmed, a trader at the market, said: "Every year during the rainy season, traders suffer when the Fulgazi market is submerged in water. For a long time, the WDB has only made promises of action.”
As the water level in the Silonia River rises, it is entering through the north and south sides of Manipur village in Parshuram Upazila’s Mirzanagar Union through previously broken sections of embankment.
There is panic among the locals as the locality is flooded.
Resident Mohammad Hasan says that the waterlogging is due to the continuous rain over the last few days and the lack of repairs to the Silonia River embankment after the terrible flooding in 2024.
The people of Parshuram Upazila have yet to overcome the hardships of last year's flood. Their fears are further inflamed whenever the water starts to rise.
Rafiqul Islam, a resident of Manipur village, said: "We are scared as water is entering through the broken sections of the embankment. The water can enter the houses at any time. There is a fear of fresh floods in our area."
According to the WDB, the Upazila administration and local sources, the severe floods in August 2024 eroded more than a hundred sections of the embankments along the Muhuri, Kahua and Silonia rivers near the border. Hundreds of thousands of people were severely affected by those floods.
The WDB says 52 places on the embankments of the three rivers have been breached. Most of them have been repaired, but the water has started to seep into villages from 10-12 sections of embankment yet to be repaired.
The embankment of the Kahua River adjacent to Professor Bari in South Kolapara, the 200-foot embankment on the Dhanikunda-Noapur road, three places in Paschim Alaka, four places on the Silonia River embankment in Mirzanagar Union’s Manipur, and a 40-feet section of the Silonia River embankment in South Satyanagar have not been repaired.
Water has been entering the locality through these breaches for the past two days.
In addition, locals from different areas of Parshuram Upazila have alleged that new cracks and erosion have appeared in eight places on the repaired embankments. A crack has appeared in the middle of the Muhuri embankment in Dakshin Shaldhar of Chithalia Union and both ends of the embankment flattened.
Fulgazi Upazila executive officer (UNO) Fahria Islam said, after receiving news of the breach in the embankment of the Muhuri River, she and the deputy commissioner rushed to the spot on Thursday night. Later, Army personnel inspected the damaged area.
Wasim Akram, deputy assistant engineer of the WDB, said that the water in the Muhuri River has started receding after the heavy rains stopped on Thursday afternoon. The water in the Muhuri River was flowing at 11.15 centimetres as of 9am on Friday. The danger level of the river is 12.55 centimetres.
Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam said that the WDB has been instructed to urgently repair the broken sections of the embankments along the Muhuri River. Care is being taken to ensure that no other embankment is breached. However, as the embankment is made of earth, there is a possibility of it breaking at any point if the water level in the river rises.
Md Akter Hossain Majumder, executive engineer of the Feni WDB, said that part of the Muhuri embankment that broke is made of reinforced cement concrete. While was a fear of the earthen dam being breached the concrete section has also given way.
He said that officials of the WDB are working to repair the broken parts of the embankment, "However, it is not possible to repair it immediately unless the water level recedes."
