About 5,000 people moved to shelters in Sylhet, followed by a flash flood for the second consecutive day on Friday that left at least 7 lakh people affected in eight of the 13 upazilas in the district.
The flash flood situation worsened on Friday, with three new upazilas鈥擝eanibazar, Golabganj, and Biswanathpur鈥攂eing affected as heavy to very heavy rain continued inside Bangladesh and upstream across the border in India.
Floodwater started entering Sylhet city on Friday night, inundating low-lying areas in Kazirbazar and Taltola areas as the river Surma overflowed its banks.
Topkhana, parts of Shahjalal Upa-Shahar, Zatarpur, Sobhanighat, Chhararpar, and Machhimpur areas, most of which are situated next to the bank of the river that divides the city, also went under knee-deep water in the morning, locals said.
Most of the affected families took shelter in the homes of relatives, while many of them took shelter at different educational institutions, including Kishori Mohan Girls High School in the Noyasarak area of the city.
About 1,000 rafts, mostly steered manually, were carrying people through vast water bodies to flood shelters opened in faraway places.
The north-eastern region geographically constitutes a water bowl where rainwater from some of the world鈥檚 wettest places, including Cherrapunji and Meghalaya, drains.聽
The flood is believed to have rendered thousands of people homeless, many of whom moved to their relatives on higher ground.
鈥楢 total of 4,802 people already came to our flood shelters, and the number of shelter seekers was rapidly increasing,鈥� said Sheikh Rasel Hasan, deputy commissioner, Sylhet, confirming the opening of 547 flood shelters.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre warned that the flash flood might linger as it hit while the monsoon was setting in.
India鈥檚 Central Water Commission data revealed that three rivers, including the Barak, continued flowing far above their danger levels, up to four metres, at four places in Bangladesh鈥檚 upstream Shillong until 4:00pm on Friday.
Beanibazar upazila chairman Abul Kashem Polash told 抖阴精品 that at least 10,000 families lost houses and other property in moments after the flash flood hit the upazila on Thursday night, washing away parts of a flood protection embankment on the river Kushiyara.
Jakiganj upazila chairman Lokman Ahmed Chowdhury put the number of flood-affected people at one lakh. He complained about inadequate relief supplies to help the people in need.
Gowainghat upazila nirbahi officer Towhidul Islam said that 75 per cent areas of the upazila were flooded, affecting 2.5 lakh people.
Jaintapur upazila parishad chairman Liaquat Ali said that the flood submerged almost all land in the area, except a few hilly areas.
Thousands of people in Companiganj, Kanaighat, and Golabganj were also forced to move away from their houses in the wake of the flood.
The latest flood served as a reminder that intense flash flood spells are increasing. Flash flooding used to last for hours. But lately, they have hit with more lifetimes.
In 2022, the first wave of flash floods lasted for three days, starting on April 4, submerging hundreds of hectares of standing boro crop in Gowainghat, and washing away graveyards, mosques, and roads. The Piyain swelled by 12 feet during the flash flood.
The second wave of a similar flash flood hit the north-eastern haor region in June 2022.
The flash flood saw so much water rushing down from the Indian hills that it engulfed the entire landmass of Sylhet and Sunamganj districts.
Gowainghat covers Jaflong, a famous tourist destination.
The arbitrary withholding and release of water at barrages across the border by India have complicated the situation further, making flash flood impacts severe and forecasts very difficult.
Bangladesh鈥檚 vast haor expanse is a natural land depression along the feet of an extensive mountain range and constitutes part of the Meghna basin.
The FFWC said on Friday that the river Kushiyara at Amalshid point was flowing 207cm above its danger mark at 9:00am after swelling up 5cm over the past 24 hours.聽
The Kushiyara at Sheola rose by 10 cm over the same period, flowing 15cm above its danger level.
The Surma flowed 97cm above its danger mark in Kanaighat, despite its water level dropping 69cm over the 24 hours until 9:00am on Friday.
In its reporting cycle, the FFWC recorded 108mm of rainfall in Nilphamari and heavy rainfall at many places in Sylhet.
Across the border in India鈥檚 Cherrapunji, 193mm of rainfall was recorded over the same period, followed by 132mm of rainfall in Goalpara, Assam.
India鈥檚 Central Water Commission data showed that the Brahmaputra was flowing very close to its danger marks at five points in Assam until Friday afternoon.
The FFWC said that the Brahmaputra-Jamuna rivers are in a rising trend, which may continue in the next 72 hours.
The flood situation in Sylhet district may improve in the next 24 to 48 hours, said the FFWC bulletin issued immediately after noon on Friday.
IMD predicted fairly widespread to widespread rain in Bangladesh鈥檚 upstream over the next week.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department predicted rain accompanied by temporary gusty wind at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions, at a few places over Chattogram division, and at one or two places over Khulna and Barishal divisions, with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places in the 24 hours ending at 6:00pm today.
