Rain worsens flooding in Kurigram

Incessant rains and the water rolling down hills have inundated about five hundred shoals and low-lying areas of all nine upazilas of Kurigram in the last two days, while floodwater started receding in Khagrachhari after rainfall stopped on Thursday afternoon.

At least 30 houses in Jatrapur union were washed away by the onrush of water of the Brahmaputra and 2km of the embankment in Pachgachhi union was threatened by erosion of the Dharla river bank, according to the union chairmen of Kurigram sadar upazila.

Most education institutions and government and non-government offices have been submerged by rainwater, reported our Kurigram correspondent.

The affected places include the fire station, food storehouses, the food office, the deputy commissioner's office, chief judicial magistrate's court, Haspatal Para, Hatirpara, Roumari Para and the staff quarters.

People are using boats to go from one place to another. Photo: Star

The Dharla River is flowing 11cm above the danger level at Dharla bridge point in the sadar upazila, while the Brahmaputra was flowing 45cm below the danger level at Chilmari ghat point of Chilamri upazila till 6:00pm yesterday, said a Water Development Board official. 

Erosion on Dharla's bank has taken a sharp turn and reached close to the flood protection embankment in Pachgachhi union, said the union chairman, Amir Hossain.

Our Khagrachhari correspondent added, the flood situation in the district has started improving as the floodwater continued receding after raining stopped on Thursday afternoon.

Water completely receded from Khagrachhari district town by yesterday morning but it was happening slowly in Dighinala upazila. 

At least a thousand families of Marung and Kabakhali unions of Dighinala upazila and Ganjapara, Shantinagar, Sabdamiapara, Khabangpuria, Milanpur, and Islampur of Khagrachhari district town were badly affected by flooding.

In Dighinala, at least 65 families have sheltered in Chhoto Marung Government Primary School and Hasinsonpur Government Primary School, as the district administration distributed relief materials to them yesterday noon.

Road communication between Dighinala and Longadu upazilas of Rangamati has been suspended due to the flooding.

In Khagrachhari town, the affected families returned home from the nine shelters but complained of getting no relief materials from the administration till yesterday afternoon.

The affected people demanded government assistance as the flood severely damaged farm lands, ponds, roads, and bridges.

Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachhari Muhammad Wahiduzzaman said a list of the affected families was being prepared and relief goods would reach them soon.