Flooding disrupts normal life

Waterlogging, created by heavy rain, has disrupted communications and paralysed normal life of people in different districts over the last few days. In Tangail, waterlogging has become a chronic problem in the district, especially the Mirzapur municipality. Downpour in the last few days has caused a severe waterlogging in the area disrupting civic life. Residents are seen wading through knee-deep water in many places of the town. Most of the roads have become unfit for vehicular movement. Due to faulty drainage system the rain water remains stagnant. A slight rainfall causes waterlogging in the town. The most affected areas are College Road, Thana Road, Bonsai Road, Mosjjid Road, Kumuddini Medical College Road, Kalibari Road. Dwellers alleged that most of the roads in the municipality have become dilapidated. Potholes, cracks, ditches have developed as the roads have remained uncared for a long time.
Mayor of Mirzapur municipality Md Shahidur Rahman Shaheed said  the drains have been choked by garbage and household waste. Almost all the drains have become clogged. They are trying to clean the drains to ease waterlogging problem, the mayor added. In Patuakhali, an unusual flow of tidal water flooded the district town and coastal villages, markets and low-lying areas of the district in last two days. Water level has increased in the river, sea estuary and the Bay of Bengal due to the influence of full moon. On the other hand, people of different remote places of the district are facing problems, caused by waterlogging. Besides, the tidal water entered into hundreds of villages through collapsed flood control embankment.  
Meanwhile, three ferry terminals along the Patuakhali-Kukata route and one ferry terminal of Patuakhali-Bauphal route remained under water. As a result, passengers traveling through these routes are facing untold sufferings.
Mahipur fish warehouses association president Masum Bepary said hundreds of fishing trawlers remained anchored
at Mahipur fish termilnal for the last three days due to the inclement weather and rough sea.
Hundreds of families of Champapur and Dhankhali Union Parishad under Kalapara upazila of the district are living in panic due to the collapse of Debpur embankment. Erosion has started at polder-54 of Debpur embankment. About one kilometer area of the Debpur embankment has already been washed away by the Ramnabad river last week.
Siddik Mridha of Debpur village, said farmers of the villages have become for frustrated about the future of Aman cultivation on2000 acres of land that have been flooded because of the collapse of embankment.
BWDB, Kalapara Executive Engineer Abul Khaier said: “We have submitted a proposal on repair of embankment to the World Bank under emergency cyclone recovery and restoration project. After getti ng approval of the project from the World Bank the repair work will be done, he said.
In Bhola,  about 50,000 people of 30 villages, especially in shoals (char lands) of the River Meghna, have been marooned after their homesteads were flooded by high tides, triggered by cyclone ‘Komen’ and rise of water level due to the impact of full moon. In Sayeedpur union of Daulatkhan upazila the flood protection embankment collapsed on Saturday. Sources said due to the impact of the cyclone a large number of houses were submerged while tidal water entered into Sayeedpur of Daulatkhan upazila through collapsed flood protection embankment on Friday night.
Abul Haseem Mohajon, chairman of Charkukrimukri union of Charfassion, said most area of his union is under three feet of water. Monjur Alam Khan, upazila chairman of Daulatkhan and Nirbahi officer visited the spot and said an initiative is underway to repair the collapsed embankment.
Abdul Hekim, executive engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board of Bhola-1, said water in the river Meghna is flowing 48 centimetres above the danger mark. Sources in the Department of Agricultural Extension of Charfassion and Daulatkhan upazila said submerged Aman seedlings may be damaged by the tidal water. In Chandpur, a passenger launch MV Imam Hasan-1 with 300 passengers on board suddenly ran aground at a hidden char (shoal)  known as ‘Chirarchar’, about 10 kms northeast from Chandpur district town yesterday.
According to launch passengers, the vessel suddenly started tilting to one side due to strong current and high waves in the Meghna causing  panic among them. The passengers, who became angry for what they believe inefficient maneuvering of the launch by the captain and staff, vandalised a few rooms of the vessel. On receiving the information, river police rushed to the spot and brought  the stranded passengers to Chandpur  terminal by another launch.

 

Flooding disrupts normal life

Waterlogging, created by heavy rain, has disrupted communications and paralysed normal life of people in different districts over the last few days. In Tangail, waterlogging has become a chronic problem in the district, especially the Mirzapur municipality. Downpour in the last few days has caused a severe waterlogging in the area disrupting civic life. Residents are seen wading through knee-deep water in many places of the town. Most of the roads have become unfit for vehicular movement. Due to faulty drainage system the rain water remains stagnant. A slight rainfall causes waterlogging in the town. The most affected areas are College Road, Thana Road, Bonsai Road, Mosjjid Road, Kumuddini Medical College Road, Kalibari Road. Dwellers alleged that most of the roads in the municipality have become dilapidated. Potholes, cracks, ditches have developed as the roads have remained uncared for a long time. Mayor of Mirzapur municipality Md Shahidur Rahman Shaheed said the drains have been choked by garbage and household waste. Almost all the drains have become clogged. They are trying to clean the drains to ease waterlogging problem, the mayor added. In Patuakhali, an unusual flow of tidal water flooded the district town and coastal villages, markets and low-lying areas of the district in last two days. Water level has increased in the river, sea estuary and the Bay of Bengal due to the influence of full moon. On the other hand, people of different remote places of the district are facing problems, caused by waterlogging. Besides, the tidal water entered into hundreds of villages through collapsed flood control embankment. Meanwhile, three ferry terminals along the Patuakhali-Kukata route and one ferry terminal of Patuakhali-Bauphal route remained under water. As a result, passengers traveling through these routes are facing untold sufferings. Mahipur fish warehouses association president Masum Bepary said hundreds of fishing trawlers remained anchored at Mahipur fish termilnal for the last three days due to the inclement weather and rough sea. Hundreds of families of Champapur and Dhankhali Union Parishad under Kalapara upazila of the district are living in panic due to the collapse of Debpur embankment. Erosion has started at polder-54 of Debpur embankment. About one kilometer area of the Debpur embankment has already been washed away by the Ramnabad river last week. Siddik Mridha of Debpur village, said farmers of the villages have become for frustrated about the future of Aman cultivation on2000 acres of land that have been flooded because of the collapse of embankment. BWDB, Kalapara Executive Engineer Abul Khaier said: We have submitted a proposal on repair of embankment to the World Bank under emergency cyclone recovery and restoration project. After getti ng approval of the project from the World Bank the repair work will be done, he said. In Bhola, about 50,000 people of 30 villages, especially in shoals (char lands) of the River Meghna, have been marooned after their homesteads were flooded by high tides, triggered by cyclone Komen and rise of water level due to the impact of full moon. In Sayeedpur union of Daulatkhan upazila the flood protection embankment collapsed on Saturday. Sources said due to the impact of the cyclone a large number of houses were submerged while tidal water entered into Sayeedpur of Daulatkhan upazila through collapsed flood protection embankment on Friday night. Abul Haseem Mohajon, chairman of Charkukrimukri union of Charfassion, said most area of his union is under three feet of water. Monjur Alam Khan, upazila chairman of Daulatkhan and Nirbahi officer visited the spot and said an initiative is underway to repair the collapsed embankment. Abdul Hekim, executive engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board of Bhola-1, said water in the river Meghna is flowing 48 centimetres above the danger mark. Sources in the Department of Agricultural Extension of Charfassion and Daulatkhan upazila said submerged Aman seedlings may be damaged by the tidal water. In Chandpur, a passenger launch MV Imam Hasan-1 with 300 passengers on board suddenly ran aground at a hidden char (shoal) known as Chirarchar, about 10 kms northeast from Chandpur district town yesterday. According to launch passengers, the vessel suddenly started tilting to one side due to strong current and high waves in the Meghna causing panic among them. The passengers, who became angry for what they believe inefficient maneuvering of the launch by the captain and staff, vandalised a few rooms of the vessel. On receiving the information, river police rushed to the spot and brought the stranded passengers to Chandpur terminal by another launch.