Flash flood in Bangladesh feared to linger

The flash flood in north-eastern Bangladesh is feared to linger amidst forecasts of heavy to very heavy rain continuing, particularly in the upstream in neighbouring India.

On Sunday morning, the Kushiyara River at Amalshid point continued to flow 129 centimetres above the danger mark, while the Surma flowed 71cm above the danger mark at Kanaighat river gauging point.

The flash flood started on May 30 following heavy rain triggered by the cyclonic storm Remal that hit the costal districts on May 26.

‘The flood situation is likely to prevail longer than expected because of continued heavy rainfall in the upstream,’ Dipak Ranjan Das, executive engineer, Water Development Board, told New Age correspondent in Sylhet.

Around seven lakh people are already hit by the flash flooding in Sylhet and Sunamganj.

In the 24 hours ending at 9:00pm on Sunday, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre reported 194 millimetres of rainfall in Meghalaya, followed by 71mm of rainfall in Assam and 63mm of rainfall in West Bengal.

Inside Bangladesh, the FFWC reported that 113mm of rainfall was recorded in Jaflong, a tourist destination in Sylhet district, which was mostly flooded for several days now.

The north-eastern Bangladesh is home to many haors, vast depressions at the feet of an extensive mountain range.

India Meteorological Department in a bulletin, issued on Sunday afternoon, predicted fairly widespread to widespread rainfall in areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim over the next week.

Some of these areas, the IMD said, are expected to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall through May 6. 

About 800 villages in eight upazilas in Sylhet are affected by the ongoing flash flood. One upazila in Sunamganj is also affected.

Around 5,000 people took shelter in the flood shelters across the district and of them 3,342 people were still in these shelters on Sunday. 

Around 4,000 families remained stranded in Sylhet city due to the flood.

Sylhet district relief and rehabilitation officer MA Kuddus Bulbul said that 25 tonnes of rice and Tk 2 lakh in cash was distributed among the flood affected people.

Light to moderate rain accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions; at many places over Rajshahi and Dhaka divisions; and at a few places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country, said the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

The FFWC on Sunday afternoon said that Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers were in rising trend, which might continue in the next 72 hours.

The Padma River is in rising trend, which might continue in the next 72 hours, it said.