C T Online Desk: Fresh areas in the low-lying regions of Sunamganj and Sylhet again went under water on Sunday after the major rivers in the division continued to swell due to heavy rainfall and onrush of water from upstream for five days since Wednesday.
The Water Development Board recorded 332 millimetre of rainfall in Sunamganj within 24 hours ended at 9:00am on Sunday, causing a threat of flash flood in the district, Sunamganj WDB sub-assistant engineer Shafiqul Alam said.
Besides, the water level in the River Surma also increased by 46 centimetres at Chhatak upazila in the district by this time, he said.
As per the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre report for the next 24 hours commencing at 9:00am on Sunday, all major rivers in the north-eastern region are swelling while 69 rivers of 109 across the country are also in rising trend.
Someswari River is now 14cm above the danger level while Teesta may cross danger level at Dalia point in the next 24 hours risking people living in the low-lying areas near those rivers.
The Brahmaputra-Jamuna and the Padma rivers are in steady state while the Ganges River is in rising trend.
Light to moderate rain and thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at many places over Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall at places over the country, according to Bangladesh Met Office weather forecast for the next 24 hours commencing at 6:00pm on Sunday.
Local residents said that low-lying areas at Tahirpur, Jamalganj, Madhyanagar, Dharmapasha, Doarabazar and Chhatak upazilas in the district were inundated because of heavy rain.
Tahirpur upazila parishad chairman Karuna Sindhu Chowdhury told New Age that besides Tahirpur-Sunamganj areas, road communication among neighbouring upazilas in the haor belt had already been damaged due to rainwater.
Nurun Nabi Talukder, chairman of Uttar Banshikunda union, told New Age that rainwater started to enter Madhyanagar upazila from upstream since early Friday.
Sunamganj WDB executive engineer Mamun Howlader said that Sylhet and Sunamganj might experience a heavy rain in the next 48 hours.
‘Heavy rains may cause short-term flooding by raising water level in different rivers,’ he pointed out.
Sylhet acting divisional commissioner Zakaria said that the low-lying areas in Sunamganj went under water and the Sunamganj Municipality was facing water stagnation due to heavy rain in the past few days.
‘We are prepared to face any situation. Time has not yet come to evacuate people. We hope that water level will decrease soon,’ Zakaria added.
Talking to New Age, Shah Mohammad Sajib Hossain, assistant meteorologist in the Sylhet office of BMD, said that 130mm rainfall was recorded in the city in just three hours between 12:00pm and 3:00pm on Sunday.
Rainwater was found to be entering the emergency department of Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital causing serious sufferings to treatment seekers and their attendants.
SOMCH director brigadier general Mahbubur Rahman Bhuiyan told New Age that the drain behind the hospital was overflowed with rainwater.
‘If rain continues, water will submerge the ground floors of all buildings on the hospital campus, and power system might be very tough to manage,’ said Mahbubur.
SCC outgoing mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury and chief engineer Nur Azizur Rahman were not available for comments despite repeated efforts over their mobile phones in the afternoon.
The first wave of monsoon flood officially hit the north of Bangladesh, with the Teesta and Surma rivers overflowing their danger marks following days of torrential rains inside the country and across the border in the third week of June.
As a result of heavy rain, Surma, Old Surma, Sarigowain, Khowai, Jadukata, Someswari, Bhogai-Kangsha may rise rapidly and cause short-term flood in the adjoining low-lying areas, said the FFWC in its daily bulletin.
