Incessant rains and uphill landslides are flooding new areas in Sherpur. This has worsened the flood situation. The waters of several rivers of the district are flowing over the boundary. Water has risen in more than two hundred villages of 28 unions of five upazilas. More than one and a half lakh people are trapped in water. Many families have been taken to shelters. People stuck in water in various places are passing their days in extreme difficulty.
From last Friday to Saturday night, a total of 7 people, including women, old people and teenagers, were drowned in the flood water. Five of them died in Nalitabari upazila. They are Zahura Khatun, Idris Ali, Omija Begum, two brothers Hatem Ali and Alamgir Hossain. Meanwhile, a person named Moktar Hossain died
in contact with the torn electricity wire lying in the flood water in Kurerkanda village of Urfa union of Nakla upazila .
Mohammad Al Amin, OC of Jhenaigati police station, said that the police recovered a decomposed body from Sandhyakura area of Maharshi river in Nalkura union on Saturday.
It has been sent to Sherpur District Hospital Morgue for post-mortem .
Meanwhile, more than two hundred villages of Durgapur and Kalmakanda upazilas of Netrokona have been flooded. After Haluaghat and Dhobaura upazilas of Mymensingh, flood water has also entered Phulpur and Tarakanda.
Sardar Uday Raihan, Executive Engineer of Flood Forecasting and Warning Center of Water Development Board, said that the water level of Kansa, Jinjiram, Someshwari and Old Brahmaputra rivers in Mymensingh division is increasing. The water level of Bhugai River is stable. At present the Bhugai river at Sherpur, the Jinjiram river at Nakuagaon and Jamalpur flow over the boundary at Goalkanda point.
Meanwhile, although it has been raining for four consecutive days across the country, the rain has decreased since Sunday morning. Among them, four ports of the country have been asked to lift the warning signal yesterday due to hostile weather. The Meteorological Department says that although the intensity has reduced, there may be scattered rains in different parts of the country till next Friday. After this, heat may fall in different parts of the country.
Since yesterday morning, the suffering of the flood victims has increased due to non-stop rain. Crop fields in vast areas of hundreds of villages are under water. Many houses are submerged in water. Farmers are distraught as fish worth crores of rupees have washed away from fish farms. Seven more unions of Sherpur Sadar and Nakla Upazila have been inundated since Saturday night. As the hill slopes continue, the waters of Maharshi, Someshwari, Chellakhali, Bhogai and Mrgi rivers are flowing over the border.
The army, fire service, BGB and various voluntary organizations are working to rescue the villagers. Apart from this, other food items including dry food are being distributed. Various political parties and organizations including upazila administration participated in these activities.
Meanwhile, secondary schools in Sherpur which have been opened as shelters have been declared closed. There are 123 shelters in Nalitabari. Among them, more than 10 thousand people have taken shelter in 58 shelters.
According to the Agriculture Office, at least 30,000 hectares of aman crops and 1,000 hectares of vegetable crops have been damaged in the district. District Fisheries Officer Pranab Kumar Karmakar said that 2 thousand 57 gher fish were washed away in Jhenaigati and Nalitabari upazilas. The loss amount is more than 11 crore rupees initially.
Jhenaigati upazila executive officer Ashraful Alam Russell said that 70 to 80 percent of the upazila area has been flooded. People trapped in water are being rescued. Many have been taken to shelters.
Nalitabari upazila executive officer Masum Rana said that 12 unions of the upazila were flooded. Of these, five unions suffered more losses.
District Commissioner Tarafdar Mahmudur Rahman said that the district and upazila administrations are on alert. We are working to rescue the victims and deliver dry food.
Meanwhile, the people of 15 villages of Chandhara Union of Mymensingh’s Phulpur have become waterlogged. Local administration and voluntary organizations are working to rescue them. About 35,000 families in Haluaghat are in water-locked condition. 6,000 families are trapped by water in Dhobaura.
Over 200 villages of Netrakona have been flooded
due to heavy rains and landslides in Durgapur and Kalmakanda upazilas of Netrakona, at least 10 unions have been flooded. Water has risen in more than two hundred villages of those unions. About 350 hectares of Aman paddy has been submerged.
In Durgapur, the water level of Someshwari and Kangas river in Zaria is rising and touching the limit. The water of Udakhali river in Kalmakanda was flowing 5 cm above the flood line yesterday evening. Apart from this, the water of various rivers including Dhanu of Kangs, Magra, Khaliajuri in Mahadeo, Sadar and Barhatta upazilas is increasing.
Out of the seven unions of Durgapur upazila, the lower areas of five have been flooded. Gaonkandia, Kullagara, Kakairgara, Chandigarh and Bakaljora Union. People of about 40 villages of these unions have become waterlogged. Apart from this, water is entering Purbadhala upazila. The water of Kangs river has risen in Jaria of the upazila and has reached the Mymensingh-Jaria railway line.
Durgapur Upazila Fisheries Officer Shirin Akhtar said that the fish of hundreds of ponds were swept away by the landslide. The amount of loss is about 50 lakhs.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Nipa Biswas said that about 10,000 hectares of cropland is submerged in water. Out of this, 6 thousand 200 hectares of crops are likely to be damaged.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (Acting) Mostafizur Rahman said that many people in the lower areas are stuck in water. On Saturday, the administration visited the waterlogged areas of Kakairgara Union and distributed relief materials.
Water has risen on various rural roads of Lenngra, Kharnai, Rangchati and Nazirpur Unions including Kalmakanda Sadar. About 100 villages of these unions have been flooded. Some rural roads have broken due to water. Several houses have also collapsed. Apart from this, water has entered the grounds and balconies of several educational institutions. Hundreds of ponds, paddy fields and seedbeds have been submerged.
Upazila Executive Officer (Acting) Shahidul Islam said that the water level has increased due to the hills. Inquiries are being made at various places. The upazila administration is ready to deal with the flood.
Meanwhile, in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj, 3000 acres of Aman paddy has been submerged in the water of the hill. The water of Jadukata river is increasing gradually. As a result, since the east side of Anwarpur Bridge is flowing over the Tahirpur-Sunamganj road, the road communication with the district headquarters is being disrupted since yesterday morning.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Hasan Ud-Daula said, the Aman paddy of Tahirpur has been submerged due to sudden flood.