C T Online Desk: Many of these newly flood-affected people in Zakiganj of Sylhet were likely to end up in flood shelters while emergency government responders to the deteriorating situation said that lives were at stake because of the sudden flooding.
The flood protection embankment that eventually gave in to the continued onrush of water following extreme rain upstream was located at the place the Barak river entered Bangladesh from India, assuming the name Kushiyara.
‘Right at the moment, a massive volume of water is passing through the populated villages,’ said Gopal Krishna Debnath, additional chief engineer, Sylhet division, Local Government Engineering Department, around 5:00 pm on Friday.
LGED officials rushed to the spot for repairing the flood protection embankment, a task they said seemed undoable as the Barak continued to pass a massive amount of water towards Bangladesh, washing away houses, trees and livestock.
No casualties, however, were reported immediately after the collapse of the flood protection embankment by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Zakiganj, AKM Faysal, until 8:00 pm.
Zakiganj, where 31 flood shelters had been opened until Friday, expected to receive a flood of people needing shelter as more villages downstream were likely to be submerged, government officials said.
‘We have ordered all educational institutions to open their premises for people needing shelter,’ said Faysal.
As Sylhet reeled under the devastating flash flooding, the rapidly rising Padma and Jamuna disrupted ferry services over Aricha-Kazirhat and Paturia-Daulatdia river crossings, two major ferry services connecting road communication between the capital and dozens of districts.
The collapse of the important flood protection embankment in Sylhet spelt bad news for people living in Sylhet and downstream amid forecasts of extreme rain in upstream areas through Sunday.
The north-eastern district of Sylhet, including the Sylhet City Corporation, has been torn by flash flooding since Tuesday.
Many people in Sylhet, including in the city, passed yet another day without electricity, the supply of which was obstructed by flood waves toppling electric poles or sweeping through power substations.
New Age’s staff correspondent in Sylhet reported that the Surma river subsided very slowly leading to a very slow recession of water from the city.
Hundreds of kilometres of roads remained submerged in water, cutting off people at many places from surface communication. According to the district relief and rehabilitation office, floodwaters overtook at least 80 per cent of Sylhet district.
The Sylhet divisional office of Roads and Highways estimated that flooding affected about 100 kilometres of roads in Sylhet and Sunamganj.
