An easing of upstream hill runoff has led to floodwaters receding slightly from Sherpur’s Jhinaigati, Nalitabari, and Sreepardir Upazilas. However, persistent rain has triggered flooding in new downstream areas of the Sadar and Nakla Upazilas, leading to an overall worsening of the flooding situation in the district.
Intermittent rain since Sunday morning has piled more suffering onto victims of the floods, according to bdnews24.com.
The farmland of over 100 villages in different parts of the five Upazilas is still under water. Countless houses are still inundated. Fish worth millions of takas have been washed away, leaving farmers distraught.
Meanwhile, the bodies of two more people who went missing during the flooding have been recovered, taking the total death toll to five.
The bodies of brothers Abu Hatem, 30, and Alamgir, 17, who had left their home in Nalitabari’s Abhaynagar village to seek shelter, were found in a paddy field on Friday night.
Forty-five-year-old Zahura Khatun of Batkuchi village is still missing. The body of an identified woman from an ethnic minority has also been recovered from the floodwaters in the Jhinaigati Shondhakura area.
The Water Development Board says that the water of the Bhogai River in Nalitabari has reduced and is now flowing 51 cm above the danger level, while the level of the Chellakhali River is flowing 185 cm above the danger level.
Officials at the Sherpur District’s Department of Agricultural Extension say that 7,696 hectares of Ropa Aman paddy fields in the district have been completely submerged and another 9,693 hectares have been partially flooded.
In addition, 208 hectares of vegetable crops have been completely submerged and 413 hectares partially submerged.
A total of 65,400 farmers have been affected by the flooding.
Meanwhile, heavy hill runoff has heavily damaged the Nalitabari regional highway from Sherpur to Tinani, particularly near the Ranigaon Bridge, cutting the area off by road.
Vehicles and people are taking risks while travelling from Sherpur to Gazir Khar and the Nalitabari road due to heavy water flowing over four places in Koloshpar Union.
Floodwaters are also flowing over at least 10 important internal roads of the district, including the Nalitabari-Nakugaon Land Port road.
The flooding in Sherpur has been caused by continuous rain and persistent runoff from upstream. The runoff has destroyed homes and greenery in many areas. The rising water has left many families without the means to cook. Many are suffering from a shortage of dry food and clean water.
People are rushing to safe places and shelters in the face of the disaster.
The army, the BGB, members of voluntary organisations, members of the Upazila administration, and Fire Service personnel are working to rescue people trapped by the water. Relief activities at the government and private levels are in full swing.
The continuing governmental and private relief efforts are still not sufficient to meet people’s needs. Many people in the flood-affected areas have complained that they have yet to receive any kind of assistance.
Tarafdar Mahmudur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Sherpur, said on Sunday morning that there was no heavy rain on Saturday night. But it began raining again on Sunday morning.
All kinds of measures have been taken to help flood victims, he says.
Seventeen medical teams are working in the area to provide health services and all measures have been taken to ensure the treatment of flood victims in Upazila health complexes, the deputy commissioner says.