Rail link to 3 divisions snapped
A trail of destruction caused by the floods disrupted railway communication between the northern districts and the capital yesterday, while road links have become virtual death traps. The rail link between Dhaka and the northern districts were severed around 6 am yesterday, when a big chunk of earth collapsed at the Pouli Bridge area of the Kalihati Upazila in Tangail district due to a rush of floodwaters. All the scheduled trains between Dhaka and the northern and southern regions have been suspended following the incident, leaving the regions completely cut off, as the railways provided the only links.
The authorities said they did not know how long it would take to resume train services, but people were certain to suffer a great deal in the absence of train services that connect the three divisions of Rangpur, Rajshahi and Khulna.
On the other hand, floods have led to the suspension of railway communication in Dinajpur and Lalmonirhat districts in the northern regions.
The railway authorities said they were trying to repair the tracks before the Eid-ul-Azha.
With rail communication snapped, people are depending on road links but are facing a great deal of risk, as roads in many parts of the districts such as Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Kurigram and Jamalpur have been washed away.
Buses are taking the risk of travelling on roads filled with sand or bricks.
The roads and highway authorities said they would try to repair the roads before the Eid-ul-Azha.
Meanwhile, the flood situation has started improving in the north, as all the rivers are on the retreat except Mahananda and Atrai.
Though most of the flood victims have returned to their homes from the shelters, some families are still spending miserable days at the shelters, as their houses have collapsed.
Our Tangail correspondent reports: the rail communication between Dhaka and the north and south Bengal has been cut off since 6 am on Sunday following a landslide at Pouli Bridge area of Kalihati Upazila of Tangail district due to a rush of floodwater.
Jalal Uddin, station master of Tangail, said that about a 30-metre stretch had been washed away by the floodwaters, forcing the suspension of railway services.
The incident came to notice just after the Dhaka-bound Sundarban Express train from Khulna crossed the Pouli Raiway Bridge at about 5.30 am.
Local people saw the landslide and raised a red flag and informed the local administration. Locals said the train had a narrow escape from meeting with an accident.
After the collapse, the Dhaka-bound Nilsagor Express from Nilphamari has been halted near Pouli Bridge, the Rangpur Express has been halted at Bangabandhu Bridge East Station, the Ekota Express at the Bangabandhu Bridge West station and the Rajshahi-bound Dhumkatu Express from Dhaka has been stopped at the Joydebpur station, the Tangail station master added.
He said rescue teams from Gazipur and Pakshi were repairing the damaged track and removing the landslide debris. Chief engineer of West Zone of Bangladesh Railway Ramjan Ali said that sand sacks were being dumped to mend the erosion so that train services could be resumed. But he was not sure when the repair work could be complete.
Meanwhile, railway minister Mujibul Haque visited the site in the afternoon yesterday and said the communication would become normal by Monday.
Our Dinajpur correspondent reports: The floods have shattered rail and road links, making communication difficult for local people.
Over the last one week, train services in Dinajpur have remained suspended, as a 15-km rail link between Sadar and Parbatipur upazila has been affected by floodwaters.
Golam Mostafa, super of the Dinajpur station, said work to repair the damaged tracks was going on in full-swing. He hoped the repairs would be completed before Eid-ul-Azha.
Besides, 123 km out of 156 km national highways in the district have been affected badly and vehicles are moving with difficulty.
Meanwhile, at least 41,650 flood victims are still living in the 218 shelters created in different educational institutions, as they have completely lost their houses. So far 6.21 lakh people have been affected.
Our Lalmonirhat Correspondent reports: The rail communication in the district has been suspended along with other districts due to tracks damaged by floods at Hatibandha. The two trains that carry goods from the Burimari land port in the district has been suspended because of the damaged tracks.
Divisional railway engineer Ariful Haque said the repair work was not possible until floodwaters receded entirely and the area became dry. He said the repairs would take time but hoped it would be over before the Eid.
According to flood forecasting and warning centre, the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Surma and Kushiyara rivers were receding, while the Ganges was rising. The Padma was falling in the upstream (Goalondo) point and was maintaining a steady level downstream (Bhagyakul point).
In Gaibandha, the Babandanga-Naldanga road has been severely damaged due to the floods. Besides, the rail bridge at Bamandanga is under threat.
Locals said, due to the collapse of the Babandanga-Naldanga road, 25 villages have been cut off. Besides, floodwaters have submerged vast areas and croplands.
In Natore, several fresh areas in Chalan Beel and its adjacent areas have flooded due to the collapse of a dam on the Atrai river at Chanpur and Kharamkuri area. Several thousand acres of lands have gone under water, submerging standing crops. The Atrai was flowing 71cm above the danger level.
