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The flooding situation has worsened in Sunamganj, leading to widespread suffering as rising waters disrupt daily life. Families with cattle, women, children, and the elderly are struggling to cope.
The devastating floods have also caused devastating damage to farms and farmers. Many are distraught after the waters swept away the fish they were raising in ponds, reports bdnews24.com.
According to Mamun Howladar, executive engineer of the Sunamganj Water Development Board, the Surma River was flowing 43cm above the warning level at Sunamganj Point on Wednesday.
Due to excessive rainfall, the Chhat River is also flowing 143cm above the warning level, while the Surma River has swelled to 29cm above the level.
Speaking of the deluge, Mamun told bdnews24.com, “It has been raining since Wednesday morning. This is why the water has made its way inland. However, the water level in the river has begun to dip since the afternoon. Although the floodwater has receded from the banks, it is still rising in the Haor region.”
“State Minister for Water Resources Zaheed Farooque is scheduled to visit the flood-affected areas on Thursday,” he added.
According to the data from the Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner’s Office, the mass destruction caused by the flooding in 1,018 villages and 78 Unions has left 660,347 people without shelter.
In the past three days, heavy torrential rains have caused the floodwater to rise and infiltrate various public and private institutions, including several localities and roads.
The district administration has arranged 541 shelters for flood victims in Sunamganj. So far, 18,429 people have sought refuge in 200 shelters. Medical teams have been assigned at every union to treat the flood victims in the region.
The Sunamganj District Administration has also formed a control room to aid flood victims.
Anisur Rahman Emon, assistant commissioner of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, is in charge of the control room. He told bdnews24.com: “[The administration] provided 95 metric tonnes of GR rice, Tk 200,000, 600 packets of dry food, and 500 packets of cooked meals on Tuesday.”
On Wednesday evening, farmer Madhu Mia’s house in the Haor region was half-full of water. Three small boats were also tied behind it.
A man and an elderly woman were inside the house, crowded onto a bed.
Madhu Mia’s wife, 65-year-old Zarina Khatun, told bdnews24.com: “How will we get by? What will we eat? The water is knee-deep inside the house. We do not have a single drop of drinking water. We have shifted five of our cows to the roof of our neighbour’s house.”
“No one is checking up on us, or giving us aid. We had to bring cooked food over from another house,” she added.
Zarina’s son, Abdun Noor, said: “I have sent my children and my father to the shelter. My mother and I have stayed. The floodwater in our house keeps rising. We can’t cook, we can’t eat. We are really struggling.”
Water from the Surma River has also inundated the village of Kutubpur, causing villagers to wade through knee-deep waters. The water is about three feet high on the road.
Abdul Hakim, a resident of the village, told bdnews24.com: “The situation is very bad. The water has gotten into almost all the houses in the village. The roads are submerged too. We are in danger.”
Abdul Quddus, a 60-year-old resident of the same village, said: “We can’t stay because of the water. We don’t have any help either. A lot of people don’t want to leave their homes to go to the shelters.”
“The cattle are also in danger. The floodwater has ruined their food. We don’t know where to keep our cattle.”
According to Shamsul Karim, an officer from the district fisheries office, about 3,000 ponds have been damaged by hill runoff, causing farmers to incur losses of Tk 6 billion.
Since Jun 17, incessant rainfall and landslides have washed away the fish from the ponds. If the water recedes, our infrastructure will also be damaged, said Shamsul.
Kala Mia, a farmer in Sunamganj city, told bdnews24.com: “I took a loan from the bank to start my fish farming business. The floodwater has washed away Tk 350,000 worth of fish. Now I only see darkness ahead.”
Tapu Mia, a farmer in Buristhal, said, “I have suffered nearly Tk 3 million in damages due to the flood. I had also taken out a loan from the bank to farm fish. I made a one-time payment to rent the pond. Now I have no choice but to beg.”
According to Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner Rashed Iqbal Chowdhury, aid is being provided to the flood victims at the shelters.
“People are a bit relieved as the floodwater has begun to recede,” he added.