Eight villages in Phulgazi upazila of Feni district have been flooded as the flood control embankment along the Muhuri River collapsed due to the onrush of water from upstream and heavy rainfall.
The local Weather Observatory centre has recorded 152 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours till Monday afternoon.
Monir Ahmed, deputy assistant engineer of Feni Water Development Board, said Muhuri river was flowing 100 cm above its danger level at 9 am on Monday while 20 points of the dyke along Muhuri-Kahua-Silonia rivers are at risk of collapse.
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Already 20 meters of an embankment along the Muhuri river at Uttar Daulatpur and Uttar Baraia point in Phulgazi upazila collapsed on Monday, inundating the low-lying areas including Uttar Baraia, Bijoypur, Kismat Bijoypur, Dakkhin Baraia, Jagatpur, Uttar Daulatpur, Dakkhin Daulatpur, Banikpara villages.
Enamul Haque, a resident of Uttar Baraia, said 10 meters of the embankment along the Muhuri river in the village collapsed around 4:30 am due to the heavy rainfall activities for the last several days, causing immense suffering to the residents.
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Rahima Begum, another resident of the village, said “There is no scope to cook as the river water entered into our houses, forcing us to reel under the water.”
Anwar Hossain, a resident of the village said negligence on the part of the local Water Development Board is the main reason behind the flood every year.
Tania Bhuiya, Phulgazi Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), said eight villages have been flooded, leaving 200 families marooned.
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120 hectares of Aman and 10 hectares of Aman seed beds were damaged in the flash flood, said KHM Manjurul Islam, deputy assistant agriculture officer of Phulgazi upazila. Besides, all the vegetable crops land were submerged by the river water and the extent of the loss caused by the flood will be fixed after the receding of water, he said.
Contacted, Arifur Rahman Bhuiya, deputy divisional engineer of Feni Water Development Board, said the work for building a sustainable dam and repair work, involving Tk 731 crore will be started soon.
Deputy Commissioner Shahina Akter, said the local administration is regularly monitoring the flood-affected areas and Tk 2 lakh cash and 3.5 metric tonnes of rice has been allocated for the people in the flood-hit areas.