Communication cut, villages face flooding as road under floodwater

A large portion of Sarail-Aruail road in Brahmanbaria's Sarail upazila is now hardly distinguishable from the adjacent haor (a vast waterbody) area as it has gone under knee to thigh-deep floodwater.

Vehicular movement on the road remained suspended since Thursday, much to the trouble of the people of Aruail, Pakshimul and Chunta unions in the upazila.

The road faces the threat of erosion to the haor following onrush of floodwater, locals said.

The 14-kilometre-long road from Sarail Hospital intersection to Aruail Bazar was constructed in 2010, said sources of Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Sarail.

During a visit on Saturday, this correspondent found that about one and a half kilometre portion of the road from Bhuishwar Bazar to Kalishimul area has been inundated, making it difficult to locate as water of the adjacent haor has merged with the flooded road.

"Light vehicles like CNG-run auto-rickshaws moved through this road amid risk till last Wednesday. Then vehicular movement stopped altogether as water rose above the danger level," said Saiful Islam, chairman of Pakshimul union parishad.

"This road also worked as protection embankment for dwellings of low-lying areas of Aruail, Pakshimul and Chunta unions. Now these areas face flooding as earth and CC blocks of the road are being washed away by the onrush of water," he added.

Contacted, Nilufa Yasmin, acting upazila engineer of Sarail LGED, said, "We   have informed our higher authorities of the situation. Officials of Brahmanbaria LGED have already visited the spot. We will arrange putting drop geo-bags there very soon."