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The flooding situation in Brahmanbaria’s Akhaura Upazila has improved as the water has receded. However, road connections are still cut off due to the water submerging roads and breaking through dams. The Akhaura Land Port is still closed.
Power connections to several villages in the area remain turned off due to safety concerns, reports bdnews24.com.
Manzur Ahmed, executive engineer of the Brahmanbaria Water Development Board, said that the water level of the Haora River has continued to drop. In the 24 hours to 6am on Saturday, it fell another 4 cm to flow 51 cm below the danger level.
Currently, the water level of the river at Gangasagar Point is 5.54 metres. As a result, the flooding is slowly improving.
Heavy rain and downstream runoff from India flooded Akhaura on Wednesday. More than 40 villages, including Bangerchar, Kalikapur, Bautala, Ariyal and Kholapara were flooded.
The water rose further on Thursday, worsening the flooding. But, as there was an easing of the runoff and no rain, the floodwater began to retreat. The situation improved further on Saturday morning. The water has now receded from most of the houses.
However, the flooding led to collapses on at least eight sections of the road in Ariyal and Kholapara, including the breaching of two embankments of the Haora River. This has disrupted traffic on roads in the area.
The snapping of road links has also led to a halt to commercial activities at the Akhaura Land Port.
Travellers are not being allowed to cross the Akhaura International Immigration Checkpost either.
Gazala Parvin Ruhi, the Akhaura Upazila executive officer, said: “The flooding in Akhaura is gradually improving and the water is receding from the houses. Damaged dams and roads will be repaired quickly and the traffic and commercial operations at the land port will be restored to normal.”