Thousands marooned in southeast, Flood situation may worsen: FFWC [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Thousands marooned in southeast, Flood situation may worsen: FFWC

Local July 27, 2015

Tens of thousands people in southeastern districts of the country became marooned on Sunday due to heavy monsoon shower.
A 29-year-old woman, Rokeya Begum, died in the hilly area of Folchhari under Chakoria in Cox’s Bazaar when she fell under the wall of her house as it collapsed early Sunday from heavy rain.
Waterlogged people in Chittagong, Bandarban, Feni and Cox’s Bazaar said it was difficult for them to go out of their houses for work and roadway communications had snapped at different places.
They said they faced difficulty to do their household work as water entered even into their rooms and, at places, it reached near to the roofs. Croplands of the affected areas went under water
and fisheries enclosures and ponds were washed away.
The inclement weather throughout the day forced the authorities concerned to suspend movement of small and mid-sized water transports on different internal routes in Barisal, Manikganj and Munshiganj, reports received from the districts said.
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, referring to met office warning message, reported that maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Pyra had been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department in Dhaka forecasted that light to moderate rain or thunder showers, accompanied by temporary gusty wind, was likely to occur at most places over Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong divisions and at many places over Dhaka, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Sylhet divisions with heavy to very heavy falls at places over Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong divisions and moderately heavy to heavy falls at places elsewhere over the country.
The met office recorded 282 millimeters of rain each at Chittagong and Teknaf as the highest rainfall of the country in 24 hours ending Sunday 6:00pm. It recorded 236 mm of rain in Cox’s Bazaar, 208 mm in Sandwip, 178 mm in Rangamati and 86 mm in Feni during the time.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of Bangladesh Water Development Board forecasted that the flood situation might deteriorate in Cox’s Bazar, Feni, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari districts in the next 24 hours.
FFWC data show that water was flowing above danger levels at Kanaighat point of Surma river, at Amalshid and Sheola points of Kushiyara river, at Jhikargachha point of Kabodak, Narayanghat point of Halda river, at Bandarban and Dohazari of Sangu river and at Lama and Chiringa points of Matamuhuri river.
New Age correspondent in Chittagong reported heavy downpour caused unprecedented inundation in the port city paralysing the city life. People going out for work had to face the agony of wading through waist-high water.
The movements of vehicles in most of the areas of the city remained halted while the city’s kitchen markets fell short of supply as the rain affected the supply chains.
Meanwhile, fearing possible landslide in the hilly area following the heavy downpour, Chittagong district administration asked the people who used to live at structures in the foothills to vacate the places to fend off any kind of causalities.
The loading and unloading of bulk-cargo ships at the outer anchorage at Chittagong port was hampered for heavy rain while operational activities in container handling was also affected, port sources said.
Our Correspondent in Cox’s Bazar reported at least three lakh people were inundated by three to five feet water in five upazilas of Cox’s Bazaar district in the past 48 hours’ heavy rain while at least 50 thousand houses became waterlogged.
Hundreds of educational institutions, mosques and temples also went under three to five feet flood water.
New Age correspondent in Feni reported water entered into eight villages as the embankment by the side of river Muhuri breached at two new points at village Jagatpur under Phulgazi in the district Sunday noon.
Earlier on Saturday, water entered into 10 other villages as the embankment by the same river breached at two points at Sahapara and at Uttar Daulatpur early Saturday and at Bairagpur point of the embankment by the river Kahua Saturday afternoon.
Besides, the low lying areas of Feni Sadar upazila, including the Feni municipal area, have become waterlogged due to the heavy rain.
Our Correspondent in Bandarban reported the flood situation worsened in the district due to heavy rain and at least 1,800 families were waterlogged severely and at least 300 affected people had taken shelter in the shelter homes opened at all the government primary schools by the district administration.
Roadway communication at Bandarban remained cut off with the rest of the country due to the heavy rain.
New Age Manikganj correspondent reported that since 5pm the authorities had shut down launch movement at Paturia-Doulatdia water channel due to bad weather.
Small ferries were also not plying the route to avoid accidents.
Our correspondent from Munshiganj reported that at Shimulia-Kaorakandi water route, six ferries out of 16 were not plying to avoid bad weather and strong current.
New Age Correspondent in Barisal reported that due to rain, high speed of wind and rough condition of rivers, port authorities of Barisal region were asked to hoist cautionary signal no 2 and suspended operations of small and mid-sized water transports in Barisal from Sunday noon until further order, the BIWTA and port official said.
BIWTA authorities restricted plying of all the 36 launches from 78 ghats in 22 internal river routes from Barisal river port from Sunday noon, said Abul Bashar Majumdar, deputy director (marine safety and traffic management) of BIWTA Barisal station.
The launches are now anchored at different stations in Barisal, the BIWTA official claimed.