More than 3 lakh people have been marooned in Kalmakanda, Durgapur and Barhatta upazilas of Netrakona district as flood situation is deteriorating in the district. The water level in all rivers including Kangsa, Momeshwari, Dhanu, Ubdakhali is increasing due to heavy rains and onrush water from upstream.
Roads, houses, businesses, educational institutions in the district have been inundated and fishes of more than 3,000 ponds have been washed away. The road communication of the union parishads and upazilas with the district has been cut off.
It has been learned that the situation in Kalmakanda upazila is the worst. There is knee to waist down water in some areas of the upazila including Chanpur, Nadipar, Paschimbazar, Purbabazar and College Road. Communication of all union parishads with the upazila has been suspended. Several educational institutions including Kalmakanda Government Pilot High School, Chanduai Government Primary School, Girls High School and Udaipur High School have been opened for use as shelter centers.
More than a hundred people have already taken shelter in three educational institutions. Fishes of more than 3,000 ponds have been washed away in the flood waters. Cattle in the areas are facing food crisis.
Ropan Saha of Kalmakanda Government College, said, “Almost all the villages in the eight unions are being flooded. Out of 245,000 people in the upazila, 85% are inundated. The situation is getting worse.”
Mohan Lal Saikat, executive engineer of Netrakona Water Development Board, said that the water level in all rivers of Netrokona including Kangsa, Momeshwari, Dhanu, Ubdakhali is increasing due to heavy rains and onrush water from upstream.
At around 9 am on Friday, the Ubdakhali River was flowing 85 cm above danger level at Kalmakanda Point.
The rainfall was recorded 95 mm from 3 pm on Thursday to 9 am on Friday.
Kalmakanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abul Hashem said, “All areas in the upazila are now flooded. The situation is not good.”
He said, “Educational institutions are being opened for people as shelter centers. Necessary relief is being distributed. Already 400 packets of dry food have been distributed.”
Deputy Commissioner Anjana Khan Majlish said a huge number of people marooned in Kalmakanda, Durgapur and Barhatta upazilas.
“The flood situation is deteriorating. The administration has made preparations to deal with the overall situation.”
She said, “In the meantime, 20 tons of rice and Tk 2 lakh have been allocated in each flood-hit upazila. We are distributing relief items among flood-hit people.”
GY
