Shawdesh Desk:

The flood situation remained nearly unchanged in the north-eastern Sylhet region marooning over 25 lakh people, while around 35,000 families in five districts of northern Rangpur division were flooded on Friday as incessant rainfall in the upstream India continued the surge in water causing the trans-boundary rivers to overflow for days.

Floodwater washed away an eighth grader boy in Muktirchak area under the Ward-31 in Sylhet city early Friday afternoon, raising the death toll to six in two days in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts.

Local ward councillor Nazmul Hossain told New Age that schoolboy Ovi, 16, went to a canal near the Muktirchak Jame Mosque just after noon to take bath when the strong current washed him away.

‘The local residents recovered his body from the canal. He studied in Class VIII,’ he said.

Though the floodwater started receding from the comparatively higher grounds of Sylhet city and Sunamganj and Moulvibazar towns as there was no rain in the region on Friday, the stagnant water moved very slowly from the affected villages across the division.

Local representatives, however, said that the floodwater continuing from the upstream inundated many fresh areas in the low-lying land of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts on Friday early morning.

The flash flood hit Sylhet early Monday caused by heavy downpours and onrush of water from the upstream leaving more than 25 lakh (2.5 million) people stranded in the four districts, including 30 Wards out 42 in the Sylhet City Corporation, forcing hundreds of villagers as well as city dwellers to rush for safe grounds, homes of their relatives whose houses situated in higher places and flood shelters hours before Eid-ul-Azha.

Sylhet district administration in a bulletin issued on Friday afternoon said that 10,43,161 people in 136 out of 1,553 unions, municipalities and city corporation wards in 13 upazilas and Sylhet city of the district remained stranded.

Besides, 28,925 flood-stricken people were in 713 flood shelters in the district, the bulletin said.

According to the district administration, on Thursday 9,57,448 people were inundated in 130 unions and municipalities in Sylhet district and 23,854 people were in 698 flood shelters.

Sylhet additional deputy commissioner (general) Md Mobarak Hossain told New Age that the government initially allotted 632 tonnes of rice, 1,495 sacks of dry food and Tk 37.75 lakh in cash for the flood hit people and Tk 10 lakh for fodder in  the district.

‘These relief materials have already been reached to the upazila administrations who have taken steps for distribution among the flood victims,’ the ADC said.

Contacted, Sylhet deputy commissioner Sheikh Rasel Hasan told New Age that there was no apprehension of

shortage of relief materials as the government had already assured of more allocations.

He said that two water treatment plants capable to produce 600 litres per minute were installed on Friday at Hitech Park in Companiganj upazila and Sarighat in Jaintapur upazila.

‘Through the two plats, pure drinking water will be supplied among the flood-stricken people of Goainghat, Jaintapur, Kanaighat, Companiganj and sadar upazilas in the district,’ said the DC.

The Surma was flowing 55 centimetre and 13cm above the danger marks at Kanaighat and Sylhet city point respectively at noon on Friday. The

Kushiyara was flowing 103cm and 19cm above the danger marks at Fenchuganj and Sherpur points respectively, according to the Water Development Board.

Earlier on May 28, a flash flood had also affected more than 10 lakh people only in Sylhet district and the same people are now facing another flood in less than three weeks.

The Sunamganj district administration in a statement said that the flood continued marooning 8,55,780 people in 83 unions out of 92 in 12 upazilas of the district on Friday afternoon.

Of the flood victims, 22,637 people were still staying in 706 flood shelters on Friday afternoon, the statement said.

At Kamalganj upazila in Moulvibazar, local people said that floodwater freshly inundated many areas early Friday after the flood protection dam broke at three places raising the number of the flood victims of seven upazilas to four lakh.

Moulvibazar district administration in a statement said that 9,977 people whose home went under water were staying in 204 flood shelters on Friday afternoon.

The district’s WDB executive engineer Javed Iqbal told New Age that Kushiyara and Juri rivers were flowing above the danger level in the afternoon.

Pravangshu Som Moha, additional deputy commissioner in Habiganj, told New Age that 1,380 flood affected people of Nabiganj, Babubal, Ajmiriganj, Sadar, Shaistaganj and Madhabpur upazilas of the district were staying at different flood shelters on Friday afternoon.

The Kushiyara was flowing above the danger level at Chunarughat and Baniachang upazilas in the district, he said.

In northern district Lalmonirhat, New Age correspondent reported that around 35,000 families in five northern districts of Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Kurigram,

Gaibandha and Nilphamari were inundated as water levels of trans-boundary rivers Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar kept rising.

Shafiar Rahman, 35, a resident of Kalmati in Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila, said that the water in the nearby river had been increasing for the past four days and their house went under water three days ago.

‘It has become impossible to light the stove for cooking,’ he said, adding that it was difficult for them to collect food and water in the present situation.

Rangpur deputy commissioner Mohammad Mobasswer Hasan said that the district administration remained vigilant and had enough preparation to support the flood victims.

The situation, however, was still normal in the district on Friday New Age correspondent in Rangpur reported quoting the DC as saying.

When contacted, Rangpur divisional commissioner Zakir Hossain said that they had directed all upazila nirbahi officers to remain alert and prepare a list of marooned families for distributing relief materials.