Sunamganj
2,000km of roads damaged in Sunamganj, with losses over Tk 1500-cr
At least 2,000km of the road networks in 12 upazilas of Sunamganj district have been badly damaged due to the recent flooding.
Most of the roads under the jurisdiction of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) have suffered damage. Walking on the roads has become difficult, let alone riding on motorcycles and three-wheelers.
According to Joynal Mia, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, the Sunamganj-Doara-Chatok road is so submerged in floodwater that it looks like a canal. The only way to go through this road now is by boat.
Read:Water level falls in Surma & Kushiyara in Sylhet, Sunamganj
Besides, bitumen and stones used in Daukakhali-Brahmangaon-Ambari road have been washed away by floodwater. No one can tell there used to be a road in this area by looking at it now.
Water level falls in Surma & Kushiyara in Sylhet, Sunamganj
After a rise over the last two days, the water level of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers started falling again in Sylhet and Sunamganj on Friday.
According to the Water Development Board, the water level of Surma River has gone down by 10 cm at Kanaighat Point and 4 cm at Sylhet Point at 12pm today. However, the water level of the Kushiyara River is stable.
Meanwhile, it drizzled in Sylhet on Friday as well. However, there is no possibility of water rise in these rivers due to this light rain, said AKM Niloy Pasha, deputy assistant engineer of Sylhet Water Development Board.
Read: Major rivers swell again in northeastern region
Besides, rains are likely over this region for three more days, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Asif Ahmed, executive engineer of the Sylhet Water Development Board, said that there was no possibility of fresh flood due to this rain as the Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre reported.
In Sunamganj, the water level of Surma River has receded by 13 cm at Sadar municipality on Friday morning. This district recorded 21 mm of rain in the last 24 hours.
Road communication in four upazilas is still cut off as the floodwaters have not receded completely. In Sunamganj municipal town, Kazir Point, Bilpara, Nabinagar, West Natunpara areas, floodwaters fell slightly.
Read:Over 30 lakh homeless, 40,000 houses destroyed in flood-hit Sylhet
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said all major rivers in the north-eastern region of the country are in a falling trend, which may continue falling in the next 24 hours.
However, the Brahmaputra River is in a steady-state, while the Jamuna River and Padma River are on the rising trend. These rivers may rise in the next 24-48 hours.
The flood situation in Kurigram, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria districts may improve in the next 24 hours, it added in their latest report.
Flood water receding in Sunamganj, clogged wastes pollute municipal area air
As Surma river was flowing 13 cm below the danger level in Sunamganj on Friday morning, flood water started receding but smell of rotten clogged wastes made the municipal area air heavy.
The UNB reporter visited the municipal area and saw wastes that remained clogged in flood water at North Arpin Nagar, Shaheb bari Ghat, Moddho bazar, Surma Market, Alfat Square Point, Kalibari, old bus stand, jamai Para, Hazir Para and many other areas.
Read: Flood situation improves in Kurigram
Residents of the area are struggling to go out to run daily errands even after the water began receding.
“The area was stinking so much that I couldn’t step out from the house since morning,” said Ruhul Amin , a resident of the North Arpin nagar area.
“The flood water has receded but our sufferings did not end due to this rotten waste,” said Ashim Ray from Natun Para area.
Read: Strong current disrupts Paturia-Daulatdia ferry services, 400 vehicles stranded
However, Sunamganj municipal mayor Nader Bakht said, ``We have started cleaning the city immediately after the water started retreating.”
Sunamganj Civil Surgeon Dr Ahmmed Hossain said,” No one fell ill with water borne diseases yet and 123 medical teams are ready to provide services.”
Nagad employees to donate one day's salary to relief efforts in Sylhet, Sunamganj
Mobile financial services (MFS) Nagad has announced that it will donate its employees' one day's salary to relief efforts in Sylhet and Sunamganj.
Tanvir A Mishuk, managing director of the MFS, made the announcement at the virtual event "Manush Bachle Desh Bachbe" arranged by Nagad.
Also Read: Nagad to partner LankaBangla in furthering financial inclusion
Ahmed Imtiaz Jami, president of Obhijatrik Foundation, and Mohammad Saifullah Mithu, president and co-founder of Give Bangladesh Foundation, also joined the session.
All regional employees of Nagad in Sylhet and Sunamganj, including the Nagad entrepreneurs, are helping the flood-hit people by providing rapid transactional support and other services.
Read Technical, madrasa students to get stipends through Nagad
To assist flood victims in the Sylhet, more than 50 partner donation organisations are now accepting donations through Nagad.
21 DU students among 100 stranded people rescued in Sunamganj
Around 100 people, including 21 students of Dhaka University, who were trapped by flood in a restaurant during a visit to Tanguar haor, have been rescued by the army from Chhatak upazila of Sumanganj.
Inter-Service Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) issued a media release in this regard Sunday morning.
The rescued people have been brought to Sylhet, it said.
Earlier on Saturday night, a trawler rescued them from the restaurant but it went out of order in Chhatak, leaving them stranded there.
Three days ago, the students went to Tanguar Haor in Sunamganj on an excursion.
The students and some others took shelter in Pansi restaurant when the flood situation of the district turned serious on Thursday.
READ: 21 DU students stuck in flood-hit eatery at Sunamganj
Stranded Shoaib Ahmed, a third-year student of the Mass Communication and Journalism department sent a SOS saying, "We are in dire need of food and drinking water and there is no toilet facility here. Here, most of our phone is out of battery and not working properly due to poor network.
Speaking on behalf of the group he called for their immediate rescue.
Another student of the group Usama Rafid, posted on his Facebook timeline 16 hours back that "We all have some stories to tell. From a random tour to survival thriller."
Flood situation turns grim: Power supply to Sylhet, Sunamganj suspended
The sufferings of flood-hit people in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts have mounted with more and more areas going under water and suspention of power supply to the two districts.
The situation turned severe with rising water levels in major rivers due to onrush of hilly water from India.
As floodwater entered Kumargaon grid power sub station in Sylhet at 12 pm on Saturday the authorities suspended power supply to the two districts, said Chief Engineer of Sylhet Power Development Board (Selling and distribution region), Abdul Kadir.
The unprecendented flood inunadated 80 per cent area of Sylhet district and 90 per cent area of Sunamganj, according to Flood Forecast and Warning Center.
Army deployed to tackle flood in Sylhet, Sunamganj
The government has deployed army personnel in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts to speed up flood rescue and relief operations, according to ISPR.
Nine units of the Bangladesh Army started rescue operations in flood-hit Sylhet and Sunamganj districts in the afternoon.
“The troops have been deployed in Sylhet sadar, Gowainghat, Kompaniganj, Sunamganj sadar, Dirai, Chhatak, Doarabazar and Jamalganj upazilas to rescue the waterlogged people from their homes by boat and take them to safe shelter,” said an ISPR media release Friday.
In addition, troops have been deployed to protect food godowns in Sunamganj and the Kumargaon power station in Sylhet.
The following five tasks are assigned to the members of the army:
1. Rescue people trapped in water and take them to safe places.
2. Selection of temporary shelters with the help of civil administration and provision of accommodation for the rescued persons.
3. Provide medical assistance
4. Assist the civil administration in maintaining food godowns, power stations and other facilities.
5. Provide food and potable water.
21 DU students stuck in flood-hit eatery at Sunamganj
Some 21 students of Dhaka University have been trapped by floods in a restaurant on to visit to Tanguar Haor in Sunamganj district.
Running out of water and food on Friday they called out for immediate rescue.
Three days ago the students went to Tanguar Haor in Sunamganj on an excursion.
They took refuse in Pansi restaurant when the flood situation of the district turned serious on Thursday.
Nineteen of the stranded students are from the university's Mass Communication and Journalism department. Of the stranded students seven are female.
Stranded Shoaib Ahmed, a third- year student of Mass Communication and Journalism department sent a SOS saying, "We are in dire need of food and drinking water and there is no toilet facility here. Here, most of our phone is out of battery and not working properly due to poor network.
Speaking on behalf of the group he called for their immediate rescue.
Also read: Floods in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrakona likely to deteriorate further in 24 hours: Forecast
Another student of the group Usama Rafid, posted on his Facebook timeline 16 hours back that "We all have some stories to tell. From a random tour to survival thriller."
When asked, Dhaka University Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani said, "I am in touch with the local administration. We have asked the cooperation of local administration and local people's representatives in this regard. We strongly urged them to rescue the students by sending trained rescue teams if necessary. "
Also read: Worsening floods threaten power supply in Sylhet: officials
"I have talked to the trapped students. They are still well and healthy. I have spoken to the SP and DC and asked them for emergency assistance, food and rescue," he added.
Floods in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrakona likely to deteriorate further in 24 hours: Forecast
The flood situation in the Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrokona districts may further deteriorate in the next 24 hours, said Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre on Friday.
Water levels in 13 points of the country’s rivers are flowing above the danger level and in the next 24 hours, the water level of Teesta may remain near or above the danger level
The flood condition may further worsen in the low-lying areas of Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, and Kurigram districts, it said.
Also read: Flood in Sylhet: PDB warns for life safety
All the major rivers of the country are in spate.
According to the numerical weather forecast of meteorological agencies, there is a chance of medium to heavy rainfall (somewhere very heavy) at some places of the northern and north-eastern regions of the country along with adjoining states of Assam, Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal of India in next 72 hours.
Also read: Worsening floods threaten power supply in Sylhet: officials
As a result the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, the Ganges-Padma, the Surma, the Kushiyara, the Teesta, the Dharla, the Dudkumar and all other major rivers may continue swelling in the next 48 hours , said the forecast.
Nasrul Hamid’s prompt alert on temporary power disconnection in Sunamganj
The electricity supply to Sunamganj district and its adjacent area has been disconnected to avoid accidents as Chhatak and Sunamganj grid substations went under flood water.
Regretting the temporary inconvenience incurred by people due to the natural disaster, State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid wrote from his verified Facebook account that the electricity supply would be restored as soon as the flood situation improves.
He also hinted about a possible power disconnection in Sylhet region since the switchyard of Kumargaon grid substation has also been flooded.