Despite improvements in the overall flood situation in Chatak, road communication in various areas remains disrupted.
While floodwaters have receded in the city, many villages face worsening conditions. Breaches in some embankments and river water flowing above danger levels have inundated new areas, UNB reports.
Continuous rain over the past few days has nearly submerged different parts of Chatak city. Roads that were once bustling with vehicles are now navigated by boats. People seen on the streets are rushing to find safe shelter.
Low-income people and day laborers are taking refuge in shelters and larger boats, while those slightly better off are staying in residential hotels or with neighbours and relatives.
Livestock also suffer from the floods. As the fields and grazing lands lie underwater, there is an acute shortage of fodder.
In northern Chatak, the flood situation remains unchanged. Various places have seen houses, roads, and infrastructure submerged, leaving over three hundred thousand people stranded. These flood victims face dire conditions due to a lack of clean drinking water and food, pleading desperately for relief. Although the administration has distributed some relief, some affected people claim they have not received any.
Floodwater is gradually receding from the vast flooded areas into the rivers and canals, eventually draining into the haors. However, in southern Chatak of Sunamganj, water levels are rising.
As the floodwaters recede, the scars of the flood are becoming visible. Numerous makeshift and semi-permanent houses, as well as crops, have been damaged, and cultivated fish have been washed away.
Relief efforts are ongoing in the flood-affected areas, with various organizations and individuals distributing aid alongside the administration.
According to the Sunamganj District Administration, 6 lakh 60 thousand people across 1,018 villages in 78 unions, including four municipal areas in Sunamganj district, are affected by the flood situation. Although the entire Sunamganj district is flood-affected, Chatak upazila is the most inundated.
People in all unions, including the municipality of Chatak upazila, are stranded. According to the administration, 18,429 flood-affected people have taken refuge in 541 shelters in Sunamganj district.
The Sunamganj Water Development Board predicts heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours. If significant rain occurs upstream, the situation may worsen.
Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rashed Iqbal Chowdhury said, "We are monitoring the overall situation. There are ample relief supplies. Instructions have been given to distribute dry food and cooked meals in the shelters."
SA
