Devastating floods in Sylhet and Sunamganj inundated much of two northeastern districts leaving over 17 lakh people stranded and damaging standing crops and infrastructures.
Residents and officials of local administrations told BSS that 17,57,222 people have marooned in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts as this year's second spell of flood submerged vast swaths of the two districts creating huge suffering for the people, reports BSS.
Among the total people, who are marooned by flood water, 7.92 lakh people are in Sunamganj and 9.64 lakh people are in Sylhet, they added.
Officials of Sylhet district administration said the first spell of flood affected thousands of people in 13 upazilas and municipalities of Sylhet district in late May and the flash flood prolonged the first week of the current month leaving a large number of people marooned.
The authorities have set up 6,392 shelter centres after the second round of flood-hit Sylhet and Sunamganj districts. As flood water started receding, people were going home from shelter centres.
The Sunamganj district administration sources said flood water submerged 11 upazilas and Sunamgaj municipality.
Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Anwaruzzaman Choudhury said, "Volunteer teams of city corporation are working to extend assistance for flood-hit people. We have arranged an adequate amount of food at shelter centres."
A devastating flood, triggered by heavy rainfall and onrush water from hilly regions, has affected 20 lakh people in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts, according to a statement of UNICEF issued on Saturday.
The statement, signed by Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh, read among 20 lakh flood-affected people in two northeastern regions — Sylhet and Sunamganj — 7.72 lakh are children.
The UNICEF called for emergency assistance for flood-hit children as they (children) are the vulnerable segment of the population in case of any natural disaster.
Sheldon Yett said, "When flood waters are in a rising trend, the unsecured condition has created for children. They face different problems including drowning, malnutrition and various water-borne diseases."
The UNICEF in cooperation with of Bangladesh government and other organisations working at the field level have distributed safe drinking water among one lakh flood-hit people in Sylhet and Sunamganj to reduce their suffering.
Alongside the distribution of drinking water, UNICEF also distributed over 10-litre capacity 3000 water pots for the people in food-hit regions.
According to the UNICEF statement, 810 primary schools in Sylhet Division have been submerged by flood water while 500 primary schools are used as shelter centres for flood-affected people. As many as 140 community clinics have been damaged by flood waters in the Sylhet region, it added.
Water levels at 59 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked a rise while 48 stations recorded a fall.
Among the 110 monitored river stations, two have been registered steady and water levels at seven river stations are flowing above the danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said on Saturday.
The Teesta River flows at 15cm above the danger level at Kaunia station while the Surma at Kanaighat, the Kushiyara at Amalsad, at Sherpur-Sylhet and Markuli, the Old Surma at Derai and the Someshwari at Kalmakanda are flowing 35cm, 15cm, 18cm, 39cm, 23cm and 34cm are flowing respectively.
The Ganges-Padma Rivers are in a rising trend, which may continue in the next 72 hours, the bulletin said, adding that the major rivers in the Northeastern region of the country are in a falling trend which may continue in the next 72 hours.
Overall improvement of the flood situation in various low-lying areas under districts of the Northeastern part of the country may continue in the next 72 hours.
According to the information from meteorological organisations, low to medium rainfall in the next 24 hours and medium to heavy rainfall in the next 48 to 72 hours is expected in the Northern and adjoining upstream parts of the country.
As a result, the water level of Dudhkumar, Teesta and Dharla rivers in those regions may fall in the next 24 hours which may rise in particular times in the next 48 to 72 hours.
