Sufferings of the flood-hit people in the country鈥檚 north-east Sylhet region are likely to persist for a few more days as the water is receding at a snail鈥檚 pace in the affected areas.
Despite experiencing very little rainfall in Sylhet since Wednesday, the flood situation was not improving as per expectations as the onrush of water from upstream regions in India did not reduce visibly until Thursday.
The Sylhet meteorological office recorded only 14mm rainfall in the district in 24 hours ending at 6:00am on Thursday.
A flash flood that hit the Sylhet region on May 29 due to heavy rainfall and the onrush of water from the upstream, marooned about one million people of 835 villages under 93 unions at 10 upazilas out of 13 in the district till Wednesday morning.
According to the attending officer in the flood control room opened by the Sylhet district administration, the overall flood situation improved rapidly on Thursday across the district, including the city corporation areas.
Almost all of the flood-affected people, who moved to flood shelter centres had already returned homes on Thursday after the flood water got down from their homesteads, he said.
Talking to 抖阴精品, Sylhet City Corporation public relations officer Sajlu Lashkar said that 4,000 people were staying in 20 flood centres at different wards in the city on Wednesday afternoon.
鈥楢bout 1,200 people are staying in 18 flood centres. The remaining 2,800 people have already returned their homes as the floodwater has receded by this time,鈥� he said on Thursday afternoon.
Sajlu also told 抖阴精品 that he predicted that no one would stay in the flood shelter centres on Friday as the situation kept improving.聽聽聽聽
Two major rivers, the Surma and the Kusiyara, however, continued to flow above the danger marks at Kanaighat and Fenchuganj upazilas in the district till Thursday afternoon.聽
According to the Sylhet office of Water Development Board, the Surma was flowing 16cm above the danger mark at 3:00pm after falling by 11cm in 9 hours between 6:00am and 3:00pm on Thursday.
While the Kusiyara was flowing 54cm above the danger mark at Fenchuganj after increasing by 3cm in the nine hours.
Both of the rivers were flowing under the danger marks at the Sylhet city point, at Amalshid point at Zakiganj upazila and at Shewla point at Beanibazar upazila on the day, the WDB said.
Faruk Ahmad, a member of Darbast union under Jaintapur upazila, told 抖阴精品 that although the flood water receded, mud walls of most of the tin-shed houses of the villagers were damaged.
鈥楾he flood-stricken people are facing huge troubles even after returning home from the shelter centres,鈥� he said, adding that the affected families are yet to get any financial support from the local administration to reconstruct their damaged houses.
Fazlu Miah, a day labourer of Noagaon village at Nandirgaon union under Goainghat upazila, told 抖阴精品 on Thursday that there was water inside his house for four days.
鈥業 was in the water with my family. I endured terrible sufferings only to save my house. But I failed to protect the house. The fences of the house have broken down with the floodwater receding,鈥� he said in a choked voice.