Home ›› National

Feni sees floodwaters recede, communication disruptions

UNB . Feni
24 Aug 2024 18:25:06 | Update: 24 Aug 2024 18:25:06
Feni sees floodwaters recede, communication disruptions
— UNB Photo

After two days of no rain, floodwaters have begun to recede in the upazilas of Feni Sadar, Parshuram, and Chhagalnaiya. However, Sonaimuri and Daganbhuiyan upazilas remain submerged.

The district is currently facing severe communication disruptions, with mobile networks and internet services down, leaving residents isolated and unable to contact loved ones or emergency services.

The district administration shared these updates with the media on Saturday.

According to the Department of Relief and Rehabilitation in Feni, more than 300,000 people have been affected by the flooding. So far, 20,000 individuals have been rescued and relocated to various shelters.

Feni Deputy Commissioner Shahina Akhter said rescue operations are ongoing in coordination with the Army, Coast Guard, Fire Service, local volunteers, and students. Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has allocated 500 metric tonnes of rice and Tk 10 lakh in aid for the flood victims.

Many areas in Feni remain cut off due to the sudden flooding. Communication is further hindered by the ongoing outages in mobile networks and internet connections, making it difficult for families to contact loved ones in affected villages.

Feni Sadar, Parshuram, Sonaimuri, Fulgazi, and Chhagalnaiya upazilas are also experiencing power outages. More than 20 lakh people in the district are without electricity due to the worsening flood situation. Floodwaters have rendered 92 per cent of the towers inoperative, and around 11 per cent of mobile towers are nonfunctional. The lack of power and submerged tower areas are hampering network restoration efforts.

As most mobile towers remain out of service, communication disruptions have intensified. Residents trapped by the flood are reporting severe shortages of food and clean drinking water. The Feni stretch of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway is under varying depths of water, ranging from knee-deep to chest-deep, severely affecting transportation.

×