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| Floods and Drainage Congestion 2004 |
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Capital's low-lying areas may be swamped in 48
hours The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre says the floods may turn serious in hours to come, submerging low-lying areas in and around the capital and the port city, as fast-rising floodwaters are rolling down to the centre of Bangladesh. The spell of flooding stranded close to three million people and raised the death count to 20 in five days, with the latest three deaths in Sunamganj and Rangamati. Bangladesh was in the grip of floods and bracing for worse as heavy rains over the weekend aggravated flooding in South Asia, where more than 153 people have died since the monsoons swept into the region mid-June, officials told AFP.
Floodwaters rushing towards Dhaka Rail links between northern and northeastern districts and the capital remained cut-off for the fourth day yesterday and inter-district road links mainly the north and northeast snapped. The flooding closed hundreds of educational institutions and forced thousands of people to take refuge on higher ground and embankments. Witnesses said the flood-hit people are reeling from food, medicine and drinking water crises, but government and non-government relief is yet to reach most outlying villages. The rain-fed flooding in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Sherpur, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and Narsingdi is poised to take a serious turn and the floods in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Naogaon, Bogra and Sirajganj are also likely to worsen. The Brahmaputra-Jamuna and the Ganges-Padma recorded further rises and most rivers in the Meghna basin also registered a rise, whereas monitoring stations in the Southeastern Hill basin recorded a fall. A minor girl, Lipa Begum, drowned in the raging waters in Kabirpur village in Sunamganj, bringing the number of dead in Sylhet and Sunamganj to 14. The road link between Sylhet and Sunamganj is under threat of collapse as water is gushing through it in several places, with Chhatak upazila headquarters cut off for four straight days. Our Nilphamari correspondent reports: The Buriteesta, Charalkata and Nautara rivers swelled further flowing over Natabari, Satjan and Kakra in Dimla upazila and Ramnagar in Sadar upazila. Over 20,000 people whose mud houses were washed by the rolling waters have been left on their own without food for days. Our Gaibandha correspondent adds: The situation in Gaibandha worsened as the water level in the Brahmaputra basin continued to rise. About 700 metres of railroads lay under water there. "We are trying to run Ekata Intercity Express through the Jamuna Bridge," Saifur Rahman, general manager of the western zone of Bangladesh Railway, said of the restoration of rail links. Forty-five unions have gone under water after Gaibandha town protection embankment at Ghagat crumbled and road links with Fulchhari upazila snapped. Our Bogra correspondent says the flood situation in Bogra worsened as Jamuna and Bangali rivers burst their banks. Our Netrokona correspondent said over 40,000 people in Netrokona and Kishoreganj are marooned as floodwaters inundated fresh areas because of a further rise in the waters of major rivers after heavy rains and run-off from Indian hills. Fifteen primary schools and two high schools and headquarters of Itna and Tarail upazilas went under water. Waterborne diseases attacked more people, who are now living without food and medicine as no relief reached the far-flung areas. Our Sherpur correspondent adds: Floods hit Kamarerchar, Charpukkhimary, Bolierchar, Charmucharia, Dhala, Kamaria and Gazirkhamar unions in Sadar upazila, stranding over 30,000 people. Our Correspondent from Rangamati reports: Shohag, a student of class V of KPM Primary School, drowned in high tidal waters of the Kaptai when the 11-year-old went to a well during heavy downpour on Saturday. Milon, 25, of Rangepara in Kawkhali drowned in a rain-fed river the same day when he went out to bring his cattle back home.
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