Sunamganj
Flood in Sunamganj: Two lakh people marooned, road communication snapped
At least 13 unions and one municipality in Sunamganj’s Chatak upazila have been inundated by floodwater as of Wednesday, leaving around two lakh people stranded.
Several hundred houses, more than 200 educational institutions and at least 100 fish enclosures went under water in recent days.
Various parts of Gobindaganj-Chhatak highway has been inundated too.
The Surma, The Chela and The Piyain rivers continue to swell due to heavy showers and onrush of water from the upstream.
Road communication between Chhatak and other parts of the country has been snapped to the recent flooding.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Chhatak upazila Mamunur Rahman, more than one hundred people have taken shelter government shelter centers.
READ: 50,000 people marooned by flood in parts of Kurigram
Berajpur, Noapara, Alampur, Bilpar, Dashghar, Krishnanagar, Anondonagar, Bagain, Lakshmipur, Gabindanagar and Mohonpur areas of the upazila are the worst affected areas.
Berajpur Government Primary School Headmaster Manik Mia said that floodwater has destroyed important documents of his school.
“We’ve used a boat to shift the documents from the ground floor of the school to another floor,” said Manik.
According to information provided by the Water Development Board (WDB) of the district, water of the Surma river at Chhatak point was flowing above the danger mark Wednesday noon.
“A total of four schools have been declared as shelters. The upazila administration is providing dry food to the people living in the shelters,” said Mamunur.
Beaten by headmaster, school student hospitalized in Sunamganj
A class VIII student was hospitalized after being beaten by the headmaster of his school in Sunamganj’s Derai upazila recently.
The victim was identified as Tamim Rahman, son of Selu Mia of Tongor village of the upazila.
The incident occurred when Tamim, a student of Abdul Matlib High School of the village, along with another student went to the school to attend an exam.
Both of them were seriously beaten by headmaster Lutfur Rahman as they tried to sit on the same seat.
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According to the victim’s father, Tamim sustained injuries on head and other parts of the body.
The other student also sustained wounds on his back and hands.
“Teachers can take disciplinary action if any student breaks the rules and regulations. But this type of beating is inhumane. I’ve submitted a written complaint to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO),” Selu Mia said.
“I am sorry for the incident. I went to the hospital to see the injured student,” said headmaster Lutfur.
Derai UNO Mahmudur Rahman Mamun said that proper steps will be taken after investigation.
Flood situation improves in Sunamganj
The overall flood situation in Sunamganj district has improved as floodwater is receding in different areas gradually after 10 days of havoc.
Around six lakh people of three upazilas under the district have suffered a lot due to the flood water setting a new record of miserable life.
Although flood water has receded from the houses, it remains on the roads.
Shahid Mia, a sexagenarian of Kalipur under the Sunamganj suburb, said, "All our houses were inundated by the flood water in 2017. The water at that time receded hurriedly. But, this year, floodwater receded very slowly which barred our and cattle movement.”
Also read: Diarrhoea breaks out in flood-hit Sylhet
Freedom Fighter Nurul Momen, a senior resident of the same area, said, “I have made my house in Kalipur 40 years ago. Floods hit my house several times. However, floods in 1988 and 2022 have lasted ever long.”
The problem can be solved only by dredging the river from Sunamganj to Bhairab, Nurul added.
Haorer Krishi and Krishak Raksha Sangram Parishad member secretary Chittaranjan Talukder said waters at many haors in the district are also receding although onrush from the hilly areas continues. It takes a few more days to recede water from all the stagnant areas.
Also read: Ways to Purify Water during Flood, Disaster, Emergency Situations
Shamsudduha, executive engineer of Water Development Board, Sunamganj said, “Three waterways (Surma-Dhanu-Meghna, Surma-Kalni-Meghna, and Surma-Meghna) of the district were flooded due to flash floods. A survey will be conducted soon for dredging in these three waterways. After implementation of the dredging project, flood water will recede in a hurry.”
All rivers of the district were flowing above the danger mark due to the onrush of hilly water and torrential rains since May 10. Upstream waters have worsened the flood situation in Sunamganj leaving thousands of villagers marooned in their inundated homes.
Flood situation improves in Sunamganj
People are waiting to return to their homes as the flood situation gradually improved in Sunamganj with the water level receding.
The local Water Development Board said Surma was flowing at 7.55cm at Sholghar point on Monday morning where the danger level is at 7.25cm.
Residents of several upazilas in the district have been hit hard by the flood that inundated cropland, roads, and houses and disrupted normal life.
Also read: Over 1.5mn children at risk as devastating floods hit north-eastern Bangladesh: UNICEF
The local Met office has recorded 11 mm of rain in the last 24 hours.
Shafiqul Islam, relief and rehabilitation officer of the district, said so far 165 metric tons of rice and Tk 12 lakh have been distributed among the flood-affected people in different upazilas.
Locals said that the fish from 1,250 ponds have been washed away this year. The fish farmers have suffered a loss of Tk 3.5 crore.
Besides, 11,000 hectares of Boro crops and about 400 km of roads have been damaged while hundreds of homes were destroyed.
Sunamanjera Deputy Commissioner Jahangir Hossain said the water has started receding and the victims are getting relief.
Also read: Flash Flood in Sylhet: Tk 2,173 crore losses in fishery resources
"The extent of damages will be ascertained later and relief assistance will be provided after preparing a list of victims,” he said.
Though the water level in Jagannathpur, Derai and Sullah upazilas is rising, the local administration is ready to face it, the officer added.
Lightning kills 3 in Sunamganj
Three people were killed and 15 others sustained injuries after being struck by lightning while working on a paddy field in the Kalagaon area of the district's Tahirpur upazila on Thursday.
The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.
Also read:Lightning strikes kill 6, injure 3 in four districts
A group of farm workers was working on the paddy field when they were struck by lightning around 11am, said Abdul Latif Tarafdar, officer-in-charge of Tahidpur Police Station.
While three of them died on the spot, the injured were admitted to a local hospital.
Lightning strike in Bangladesh
Lightning strike has turned into one of the deadliest natural disasters in Bangladesh, claiming over 200 lives every year.
Also read: Lightning kills 2 in Sunamganj Haor
According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, 2,164 people died in lightning strikes in the country from 2011 to 2020. At least 216 people die every year on average in lightning strikes, more than by floods, cyclones and other calamities.
More than 70 percent of the total lightning strikes occur between April and June, say experts.
Surma renders Sunamganj residents homeless
Residents of low-lying areas in Sunamganj city have been forced to leave their houses, with the flood situation worsening in the wake of the Surma river breaching the danger mark.
Due to incessant rains in neighbouring India’s Meghalaya district over the last few days and onrush of upstream hilly waters, many rivers in Sunamganj have breached the danger mark.
Also read: Flood situation worsens in Sunamganj, Sylhet; thousands marooned
“Water is flowing above the danger level at Sholaghar point of the Surma river in the city, along with other rivers like Jadukata River in Tahirpur. Adding to the woes, 102mm of rainfall have been recorded in Sunamganj in the last 24 hours," said Jahurul Islam, executive engineer of the Water Development Board.
Meanwhile, in Chhatak upazila, water levels have crossed 152cm in the Surma river, said Md Mamunur Rahman, Chatak upazila nirbahi officer.
Sunamganj: Body found in Lauajani river
Police have fished out the body of a 34-year-old man from a river in Sunamganj’s Dirai upazila.
Police said that locals spotted the body of the man floating in the Lauajani river in Bhatipara union of the upazila on Thursday and informed them.
Also read:Seeing elder brother’s body, man dies in Chandpur
Later, a team from the local police station fished out the body with the help of divers, a police official said. "The body had several injury marks," he said.
The body was later sent to the morgue of Sunamganj Hospital for an autopsy.
Also read:Village doctor's throat-slit body found in Rajshahi
Chairman of Bhatipara Union Parishad, Mohammad Badrul Islam Chowdhury Miftah said, "A bike was also found parked along the riverbank."
Sunamganj farmers in troubled waters as paddy fields inundated
Farmers of the Sunamganj Haor region are living in fear of their paddy being washed away by the Surma river.
The farmers said that a portion of the embankment adjacent to Ahsanpur School collapsed on Monday night, sending torrents of water crashing into the farm land of the haor in Jamalganj upazila.
Also read: Another embankment collapses in Sunamganj haor area; DAE says 95% Boro harvested
According to them, vast tracts of farm land in the haor could soon be inundated if steps are not taken by the authorities concerned at the earliest.
Ali Nur, a local farmer, said, “I cultivated paddy after taking a loan. But now all my hard work has been washed away."
Some blamed the authorities for their negligent attitude. "Due to the failure of the authorities concerned in securing the embankment, we have suffered losses," said Raju Mia, another farmer.
Also read: Sunamganj farmers fear crops loss as floodwater enters haors
Around 5,200 hectares of land in this haor has been brought under Boro cultivation, said upazila nirbahi officer Bishwajit Deb. "The farmers are trying their best to save their crops."
Sunamganj farmers fear crops loss as floodwater enters haors
Floodwater started entering Baram and Darakhai Haors in Derai and Jagannathpur upazilas of Sunamganj on Thursday overflowing the flood protection dam in Kalni River, causing worry to local farmers.
Following the authority’s instruction farmers of Sunamganj haor region have started harvesting half-ripe paddy to reduce losses.
Water overflowed from Kalni River through the middle part of Chandipur-Khejaura since Thursday morning, said Mahmudur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Dirai upazila.
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About four thousand hectares of land were cultivated in this haor.
According to the locals, 60 per cent of the paddy in the haor has been harvested. If flooding in haor continues, the rest of the paddy will go under water.
Bimal Chandra Som, deputy director of the district Agricultural Extension Department, said another crops on 1,000 hectares of land in Baram Haor has not been harvested yet.
However, most of the crops of Pathar Haor have been reaped. The harvesting of Boro paddy is still continuing in these two haors, the official added.
Flash flood: 860 hectares of cropland go under water in Sunamganj
Another 860 hectares of cropland were submerged in Harmandir Haor in Dirai upazila of Sunamganj on Sunday night after the flood protection dam in Katakhali River collapsed.
Following the authority’s instruction farmers of Sunamganj haor region have started harvesting half ripen Boro paddy to reduce losses.
According to locals, water from the upstream have increased the water level in the rivers in haor region and created pressure at risky points of flood protection dams.
Water overflowed from Patlai River into an extended part of Gurmar Hair and later a dam beside Tanguar Haor watchtower broke down.
As a result Boro paddy in South Sreepur union in Tahirpur upazila and North and South Bongshikunda union in Madhyanagar upazila went under water.
Bimal Chandra Shom, Deputy Director of Agricultural Extension Department said this year Boro paddy has been cultivated on 2,22,805 hectares of land in Sunamganj with production target of 14 lakh metric tons.
Harvesting in only 51,000 hectares of land has been completed so far, he said.
READ: Second phase of flash floods hits Sunamganj haor region
On March 30, Sunamganj haor region was hit by the first phase of flash floods which inundated at least 5,000 hectares of land affecting at least 27,000 farmers, he said.
Prabir Kumar Goswami, Supervisor Engineer of Sylhet Water Development Board said, “From morning water level in the Surma River started decreasing and it will decline further if it does not rain in the next 24 hours. But excessive water from Sunamganj haors is likely to enter haors in Netrakona”.
Md Jahangir Hossain, Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner said,'' All the dams in Sunamganj haor region are at risk as rivers swell. We have instructed the farmers to cut 80% ripen paddy afer monitoring the condition of the dams 24 hours.”