By Mir Afroz Zaman, POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Aug 9, 2023 : Millions of people have been trapped in water due to heavy rains in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban districts of Bangladesh. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center says Bandarban district is the worst affected by floods. Then there are Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong districts. Besides, some areas of Feni district have been flooded.
At least 15 upazilas of Chittagong district have been flooded. Millions of people are trapped in water. Two deaths have been reported so far in the district due to rains and floods in the last few days.
The Fire Service and Civil Defense of Bandarban district said that in the last three days, around 100 hills have collapsed due to heavy rains in the district. The agency has confirmed the death of at least two people. One more death was reported but it could not be confirmed.
Although several people were injured in the landslide, they were released after first aid.
Chairman of Chakoria upazila of Cox’s Bazar district, Fazlul Karim Saidi said that only in his upazila more than 100,000 people are under water shortage. At least 10 unions were floo
Bandarban district has beenoff due to submergence of some parts of Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway.
According to the district administration of Bandarban, there is no electricity connection in this district for the last three days. At the same time, the mobile phone network is also closed.
In the last two days, about 10-12 places have collapsed in Rangamati district. Some houses were damaged. But none of these were major collapses.
Army in rescue operation in Chittagong
Many areas of Chittagong have gone under water due to continuous rains in the last few days. Deputy Commissioner Abul Basar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman said that all the 15 upazilas have been flooded more or less.
Except Sandwip and Phatikchari upazilas, the remaining 13 upazilas have been heavily flooded. 17 unions of Satkania upazila have completely submerged under water.
Mr. Fakhruzzaman said, “Nine unions of Lohagra upazila have been flooded, six unions of Chandnaish have been flooded and many people are trapped under water. A lot of people in these unions.”
Army has been deployed to rescue flood affected people in Satkania and Lohagra upazilas and they have already started work.
It is also said that the rescue work is being hampered due to lack of sufficient number of boats
The Deputy Commissioner said that one person each died after drowning in Raujan and Loha
About five kilometers of Satkania section of Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong-Bandarban highways are flooded. From two feet to seven feet of water in some places on this highway.
Truck traffic is open in some areas but other traffic is closed.
“Excluding only the Satkania part with Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban, we have no communication problem with the rest of the part. They are moving.”
Power cut in some places of Satkania and Lohagara areas for the last two days. Mobile network and internet services are also not available.
Isolated Bandarban
Purna Chandra Mutsuddi, assistant director of Bandarban district fire service, told UNI that Sadar Upazila of the district was the most flooded due to heavy rains.
A total of 191 shelters have been constructed in this district to help the flood victims. It is also reported that the army has been deployed to assist in rescue operations and relief operations.
He said that landslides have occurred in Lama, Rowangchari, Alikadam upazilas. Removal of soil and trees from the road is in progress.
Mr. Mutsuddi said that since Tuesday morning, the flood water has also started to decrease due to the decrease in the intensity of rainfall.
“The water has receded by about 20 feet from yesterday’s height,” he said.
However, the lower areas of the district are still under water. Most of the internal roads, especially the culvert areas, are closed for internal traffic in the district.
Bandarban’s road connectivity with other districts is still isolated.
The district has been without power for the past three days due to downed power lines and uprooted power lines in some areas.
Besides, mobile phone network and internet connection are also disconnected in most of the areas.
The fire service said that 10 percent of Sadar upazila is under water. About three thousand houses are under water.
Millions of people are trapped by water in Cox’s Bazar
Chairman of Chakoria upazila of Cox’s Bazar district, Fazlul Karim Saidi said, most of the areas of his upazila are under water. He also said that about one lakh people are still under water detention.
Most of the 18 unions in his upazila are flooded. He said that the condition of 10 unions is very bad.
However, unless the water level rises on Tuesday, it remains stable.
Mr. Karim said that due to the collapse of the upazila’s internal communication system, they are not able to reach the flood relief to the water trapped people.
“We gave 20 tons of rice from the upazila but the chairman could not distribute it,” he said.
Water has risen in some areas of the Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway. Water has risen on the highway in Dohazari, Lohagara, Amirabad areas. As a result, traffic is also stopped.
“The vehicles that remained in Dhaka yesterday did not reach Cox’s Bazar. Cox’s Bazar bullet reaches Dhaka only (by evening), taking two days to travel. A few cars are breaking dow
Chakoria upazila has also been without power for the last two days, he said.
“There is no rural electricity at all. PDB was coming for a while, then it is gone.
” Pekua upazila chairman Jahangir Alam said many areas and unions of his upazila have been submerged under water.
About 10-15 thousand people are under water detention in Pekua Sadar Union alone. He said that the water is still risin
Meteorologist Dr. Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Mohammad Abul Kalam Mallik told UNI that it is normal to have such heavy rainfall in August. He said that there is a record of more rainfall than this in Bangladesh in the past.
He said heavy to very heavy rains in Khulna-Barisal-Chittagong-Sylhet belt due to active monsoon over Bangladesh. Besides, when low pressure or low pressure forms in the Bay of Bengal, it rains when it crosses the coast.
