Water, water everywhere: Thousands cry for help

Staff Reporter :

The devastating deluge in the country’s northeast and eastern regions has left more than 4.5 million people stranded across 11 districts, with 13 lives tragically lost so far, according to government officials.

In a press conference held at the Secretariat on Friday, Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, revealed the dire situation.

“The floods have affected 887,629 families across 584 unions and municipalities in 77 upazilas,” Kamrul Hasan stated, highlighting the widespread impact in the districts of Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Brahmanbaria, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Khagrachari, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, and Habiganj.

The death toll includes four individuals from Cumilla, one from Feni, two from Chattogram, one from Noakhali, one from Brahmanbaria, one from Lakshmipur, and three from Cox’s Bazar.

Among the deceased are two women, further intensifying the tragic nature of the disaster.

The sudden floods have wreaked havoc, submerging homes and roads and leaving thousands in distress.

Many residents were forced to flee their homes without salvaging any belongings, seeking refuge in flood centres.

An acute shortage of clean water and food has compounded the suffering, particularly for the poor and disadvantaged, many of whom have been left without food for days.

Local residents have expressed deep concern over the severity of the flooding, with many stating that they have never witnessed such a catastrophic event in recent memory.

Despite the government’s efforts, there is a growing call for increased assistance.

“The amount of aid received so far is far less than what is needed,” residents asserted, urging the authorities to intensify rescue operations using speedboats and helicopters.

In response to the crisis, the government has opened 3,160 shelter centres, providing refuge to 188,739 individuals.

Additionally, 637 medical teams have been deployed to offer essential healthcare services in the flood-affected areas.

The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has distributed Tk 35.2 million in cash, 20,150 tonnes of rice, and 15,000 food packets to the affected regions.

Secretary Hasan assured the public that “adequate relief supplies are available in all districts to address the ongoing disaster.”

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre reports that rainfall is expected to decrease within the next 24 hours.

However, the Meteorological Department has issued warnings indicating that there are no signs of reduced rainfall over the coming three days, with forecasts predicting moderate to heavy, and in some areas, very heavy, rainfall.

Ongoing rescue operations, led by the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Fire Service, Police, and students from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, are providing critical aid to over one hundred thousand residents of Khagrachari district, who are in a state of severe distress due to unprecedented flooding.

The waters of the Chengi, Maini, and Kasalong rivers have surged past the danger level by two to six feet, exacerbating the crisis.

The army, in a continuous effort throughout the day, has successfully evacuated nearly two thousand Khagrachari residents to safety.

In a bid to reach the most remote and affected areas, the army has taken the initiative to deliver essential supplies, including dry food, candles, matches, and saline.

Additionally, army personnel are actively providing food to those seeking refuge in shelters.

“The army will continue to provide medical services alongside ongoing rescue and relief operations until the flood situation returns to normal,” a spokesperson for the army announced.

Lakshmipur District: The situation is equally dire in Lakshmipur, where continuous rainfall and unusual tidal waters have submerged four municipal towns and over one hundred low-lying areas. As a result, more than 600,000 people are now stranded.

The floods have wreaked havoc, washing away several fish farms, poultry farms, Aman seedbeds, and vegetable fields.

Since Thursday morning, the heavy rain has also caused water to flood urban areas.

Chattogram District: The people of Fatikchhari upazila in Chattogram are enduring a catastrophic flood.

For the past two days, hundreds of houses, agricultural lands, markets, and shops have been submerged.

Approximately 200,000 people in the upazila are suffering severe hardship due to the deluge.

In response, various schools, colleges, and madrasas have been repurposed as shelters for flood-affected individuals.

To further support those in need, the Upazila administration has established a control room to manage the situation effectively.

In light of the widespread devastation, the Directorate General of Health Services has issued eight directives aimed at ensuring healthcare in flood-affected areas.

These measures include the operation of a round-the-clock control room to coordinate medical assistance and relief efforts.

Sudden floods have ravaged the Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, impacting 260 unions across 40 upazilas.

The devastation has prompted the deployment of 1,196 medical teams, who are working tirelessly to provide essential services to those affected.

Hospitals in the flood-hit areas are well-stocked with water purification tablets, ORS, cholera saline, anti-venom, and other emergency medications.

All leave for healthcare workers and officials in these regions has been cancelled to ensure continuous support for the affected communities.

The flood protection embankment along the River Gumti in Cumilla collapsed late Thursday, affecting hundreds of families, said authorities.

The fall of the embankment occurred around 11:45 p.m. in Burichang upazila, specifically in the Buraburia area of Sholnall Union.

Water began to inundate local areas following the collapse, Cumilla Water Development Board’s Executive Engineer, Khan Mohammad Waliuzzaman, confirmed on Friday.

He informed that water had been seeping through the embankment since the past evening, and despite local efforts to manage the situation using sandbags, the embankment ultimately gave in around midnight with at least 300 feet of the structure collapsing.

Responding to the situation, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saida Akhter said that several unions, including Sholnall, Pirjatrapur, Sadar, and others under the upazila, are getting affected by flooding.

She informed that they alerted locals to take refuge considering the situation.

Officials from the Water Development Board informed that the Gumti River reached the danger level by 113 centimetres on Thursday afternoon, breaking a 27-year record.

In 1997, the river had exceeded the danger level by 96 centimetres. The recent surge in water levels has broken all previous records, indicating an unprecedented flood risk in the region.

The severe flood situation has led to widespread power outages in the affected areas, leaving many people unable to communicate as their mobile phone batteries have drained.

This has further compounded the difficulties, with some mobile towers struggling to operate through alternative means, resulting in network disruptions.

Relatives working abroad and in other parts of the country are increasingly anxious as they are unable to contact their families residing in the flood-affected districts.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology issued a press release revealing that 21.6 percent of mobile towers in the flood-hit districts are currently inoperative.

Nearly half of the mobile towers in Feni and Khagrachari districts are not functioning.

To maintain network services, VSATs have been dispatched to these areas.

According to the press release, out of a total of 6,986 towers in the flood-affected districts, 5,476 remain operational, with 21.6 percent out of service.

Feni has been the hardest hit, with 42.4 percent of its towers non-functional, while Khagrachari reports 41.5 percent of its towers currently out of service. Efforts are ongoing to restore full functionality to these towers.

Flooding began in eight districts on Wednesday, and by Thursday, August 22, the number of affected districts had risen to twelve.

The districts currently impacted by the floods include Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali, Brahmanbaria, Chattogram, Khagrachari, Rangamati, Cox’s Bazar, Lakshmipur, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, and Habiganj.

On Thursday evening, Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser of the interim government, informed journalists that ten districts in the country are severely affected by the floods, impacting approximately 3.6 million people.

In response to the escalating situation, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that the army was deployed on Thursday to assist in rescue operations in Mirsarai in Chattogram, Burichang in Cumilla, Akhaura in Brahmanbaria, Shayestaganj in Habiganj, and Kulaura in Moulvibazar.

As efforts continue to mitigate the effects of this natural disaster, the focus remains on ensuring the safety and well-being of the millions affected by the sudden and severe flooding.

Soldiers from the Bangladesh Army’s 17th, 24th, and 33rd Infantry Divisions are helping to relocate stranded people to safe places.

Additionally, five medical teams from the army have been deployed in Feni, Chattogram, Moulvibazar, and Habiganj to provide assistance.

So far, the army has rescued approximately six thousand flood-affected people and relocated them to various shelters, while also distributing relief and food to those in need.

Meanwhile, in an effort to stand by the flood-affected people, different political parties, humanitarian organisations, and volunteers, including students, have been collecting funds and relief materials in different parts of the capital since the flood hit.

In support of flood victims, members of the Bangladesh Army at all levels have donated an amount equivalent to one day’s salary to the Chief Advisor’s Relief Fund, according to a press release by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday.

The announcement stated that members of the army, across all ranks, have contributed an amount equivalent to one day’s salary to the Chief Advisor’s Relief Fund to assist flood victims.

This contribution is intended to support those affected by the recent devastating floods in Feni, Chattogram, Cumilla, Noakhali, Sunamganj, and Habiganj.