The government opened 141 more flood shelters on Sunday as the ongoing flash flood in eastern, south-eastern and north-eastern Bangladesh displaced over a lakh people and affected over two lakh more between Saturday and Sunday.
Flood shelters were overwhelmed with the influx of the displaced people, who came leaving everything behind, uncertain about the length of their stay at the shelters bursting with聽 flood affected people amidst heavy rain continuing inside Bangladesh and forecasts of more rain in the upstream, especially in the Indian state Tripura today.
The worst-flood affected areas are mostly overwhelmed with the onrush of water from Tripura.
The worst-hit Feni witnessed the floodwater substantially recede on Sunday but the situation in areas downstream, including Noakhali and Cumilla, worsened with the floodwater moving further inland through breaches in protection flood embankments.
The disaster management and relief ministry said that the overall number of people affected by flood stood at 52,09,798 on Monday in 73 upazilas in 11 districts鈥� Chattogram, Cumilla, Feni, Noakhali, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Lakshmipur, Khagrachhari and Cox鈥檚 Bazar.
鈥楶eople are still streaming toward flood shelters as continued rain worsens the flood situation,鈥� said Mohammad Abed Ali, relief and rehabilitation officer for Cumilla district.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Cumilla said that inadequate food and water supply and absence of health and other emergency services deepened people鈥檚 sufferings in flood centres.
鈥楳y six-year-old daughter has been suffering from fever and body pain for five days but we could not yet get her any medicine,鈥� said Marzina Begum, who was staying at Burichang Ananda Pilot School.
Marzina had to leave home without any essential belongings on August 22 in the middle of night after severe currents in Gumti River broke the embankment protecting her village in Machhimpur of Burichang.聽
Minoti Pal, another woman sheltered in the same flood centre, said that they had to wait long in queue for using the toilet while getting water to drink was a struggle.
鈥楾he nights are scary without electricity and we are not supplied with candle. Mosquitoes swarm the place from nightfall to daybreak,鈥� she said.
The government so far distributed Tk 3.52 crore in cash, 20,650 tonnes rice and 15,000 packets of dry food to the million-strong flood-affected people. For baby food and fodder, Tk 70 lakh was distributed. The flood centres also sheltered 22,298 cattle.
The situation in remote areas in Cumilla remained unknown as mobile phones could not be charged due to snapped electricity connection.
The absence of boats and trawlers made the task of bringing relief supplies to flood-hit people in faraway villages almost impossible, limiting relief distribution close to the road.
The price for renting boats has gone through the roof with the minimum price for renting an engine boat hitting Tk 40,000. Boats without an engine coast minimum Tk 20,000, reported 抖阴精品 Cumilla correspondent.
The district relief and rehabilitation officer in Noakhali said that people continued to stream to flood shelters for the situation in the district, a floodplain between the hills of Tripura, deteriorated.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Chattogram reported that the flood situation in Fatikchhari upazila improved.
The train communication of the rest of the country, including Dhaka, with Chattogram remained suspended. The road communication between Chattogram and Dhaka resumed but it took a very long time to complete the travel. Water was still flowing over the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.
After three days, the rail connection between Chattogram and Cox鈥檚 Bazar was restored on Monday.
The movement of passenger buses between Chattogram and Dhaka remained suspended for the third consecutive day as the travel time of the distance tripled. The vehicular movement on the highway was disrupted because of keeping a part of the highway open for smooth relief operation.
In Feni, water receded substantially from Parshuram and Phulgazi upazilas, opening a trail of destruction left behind by the furious flash flood that hit the area on August 19. Several unions in Sonagazi upazila, however, still remained under water.
Feni remained without electricity and any communication on Sunday as well.
The flash flooding was triggered by heavy rain over a vast area鈥攕tretching from Tripura to Dhaka. India reportedly releasing water from its Dumboor hydroelectric project compounded the situation, particularly for Cumilla.
The India Meteorological Department on Sunday warned that extremely heavy rainfall was very likely over Tripura and Mizoram.
The agency predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Bangladesh鈥檚 upstream until August 29.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department on Sunday predicted rain in many places in Bangladesh through the next two days.
A heavy rainfall warning for Chattogram, Khulna and Barishal is in effect until afternoon today.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center on Sunday morning said that five rivers were still flowing above their danger marks. The Gumti was flowing 78cm above the danger mark in Cumilla. The Kusiyara was flowing above its danger marks at three points, while the Manu River was flowing above its danger mark in Moulvibazar.
All rivers in the hill basin fell below their danger levels on Sunday amidst forecast of potential rapid rise again following heavy rain upstream.
The flash flood so far claimed 20 lives, washed away thousands of hectares of crop fields, and thousands of fish and poultry farms.
Also 7,80,000 people still remained without electricity as of Sunday evening.聽聽