‘Gas connection off. The oven is also under water. I can’t light the fire. In the morning I brought breakfast from the restaurant. You have to eat from the restaurant in the afternoon. Due to the rain, water has risen in the house. Knee-deep water in the courtyard of the house. I have never seen so much rain, so much water in my life.’
Soma Begum, wife of Abul Kalam of Patwaribari in Banchanagar area of Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila, was speaking this way on Thursday morning. Thousands of residents like him are suffering.
The overall waterlogging situation has further deteriorated in Lakshmipur. The situation worsened as heavy rain continued. Currently, waterlogging has become evident in five upazilas of the district. Most of the houses are under water for four days.
Lakshmipur district headquarters, Raipur, Ramganj, Ramgati and Kamalnagar upazilas have lost millions of people due to the subsidence of houses and roads. The Laxmipur Water Development Board said that the water in all the canals of the district including the Meghna River is rising due to continuous rains and tides for a few days. Thousands of pond fish were washed away. Hundreds of hectares of land including rice fields and vegetables have been submerged.
Sohrab Hossain, Meteorological Observer of Ramgati Meteorological Observatory said that 312.8 millimeters of rain has fallen in Lakshmipur in the last four days. The river had warning number 3. It has now been removed. Weather conditions are likely to normalize in a day or two.
This morning in Kamalnagar, it was seen on the ground that the houses in Char area are still submerged. Many tin houses were destroyed. There is a shortage of fresh water especially in the grazing areas. Many people are collecting drinking water from far away in boats and banana tree rafts. Vast crop lands including vegetable fields and seedbeds are submerged.
Char Ramanimohan Union Parishad (UP) chairman Abu Yusuf said, the water is rising, but slowly. As all the tube wells have been sunk in Char area, there is a shortage of clean water at present. It is advised to boil water in those areas.
Panibandi in Nasirganj area of Kamalnagar upazila. Mahabub said, ‘Yesterday, Wednesday, at around two o’clock in the morning, I stepped through knee-deep water and took refuge in another house with my family. There is water all around my house. All the houses are submerged. Couldn’t find anything.’
resident of that area. Rezaul said, two feet of water inside the house. There is no shelter in the school either. Water also entered the classroom.
Laxmipur Water Development Board Executive Engineer Nahid-Uz Zaman Khan said Meghna river water is flowing over the boundary line. So much water has never been seen before. Low-lying houses and roads have been submerged.
When asked, Laxmipur Deputy Commissioner Suraiya Jahan said, ‘Upazila administration is working with common people to resolve waterlogging. Various canal embankments have already been cut. Canal cleaning activities are continuing. Flood victims have been asked to take shelter in educational institutions. Dry food is being distributed among the affected families. I am taking necessary measures on behalf of the administration.’
