Rains inundate parts of Bandarban as Kaptai Lake swells up

Several areas of Bandarban district have been inundated and water level in Rangamati's Kaptai Lake keeps rising as the regions have been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall, reports UNB.

In Bandarban, the low-lying areas of Hafez Ghona, Bus Station, Army Para and Islampur area of the two went under 5-7 feet of water due to continuous rainfall in the past two days till Sunday, causing suffering to local people.

Deputy Commissioner Shah Mojaheed Uddin said 192 temporary shelter centres have been opened and 41 medical teams have been kept ready to deal with the situation. In Lama upazila, 36 members of eight families who lived in vulnerable places that are prone to landslides have been shifted to shelter homes, he added.

Dry food has been distributed among people in the shelters since noon, DC Mojaheed said.

Due to the incessant rains in the past two days, the district's Sangu and Matamuhuri rivers are flowing close to danger mark.

The Deputy Commissioner said that the administration is fully prepared to deal with the disaster situation.

"There is no shortage of relief materials. Along with the administration, the army, police and fire service personnel have made all preparations to tackle the situation," he said.

Mahbubur Rahman, chief scientific officer of Bandarban Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Centre, said Bandarban recorded 165 mm rainfall in last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, people living in vulnerable places in all the upazilas of Bandarban are being asked to come to shelter homes as there is a possibility of landslides due to heavy rains.

Members of the fire service and civil defence are conducting drives in different areas with the help of the local administration.

Bandarban Cantonment Public School and College has postponed their examination from KG to Class VI.

Local administration has allocated 20 tonnes rice and Tk 0.1 million (1 lakh) for the flood victims.

In Rangamati, the region has been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall for the past four days, resulting in a significant increase in power generation.

Currently, all five units of the Kaptai Hydroelectric Power Plant (KHPP) are now operational.

The units are collectively producing 135 MW of electricity per day, all of which is being transmitted to the national grid.

Additionally, the onrush of water from the upstream has contributed to the swelling of the lake.

According to data, Kaptai Lake was initially expected to reach 90.60 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL) on August 6. However, the current water level has reached 82.90 feet MSL, indicating the significant impact of the ongoing rains.

The lake has a water storage capacity of 109 feet MSL. As of 10am on Sunday, the individual power outputs from the five units are as follows: 33 MW from Unit 1, 32 MW from Unit 2, 26 MW from Unit 3, and 22 MW each from Unit 4 and Unit 5.

Engineer ATM Abduz Zaher also said that further increase in water level will lead to a proportional rise in power generation.

The power plant has faced water scarcity in recent months, resulting in the rationing of power generation to only two to three units.