Rain impedes life across country

The lives of people in several districts of the country have been hampered because of the continuous rainfall for the last three days. People in those districts have been suffering a great extent as low-lying areas were submerged because the of poor drainage system. Moreover, crops on vast tracts of land were submerged which could be a disaster of farmers.

Hill Collapse in Chittagong

A big chunk of mud from a hill collapsed on two buildings during torrential rains at Baghaghona in Lalkhan Bazar under Khulshi Police Station in the city on Sunday (June 22, 2014), A portion of the hill along with soil, sand sack, banana and jackfruit trees collapsed on a two-storey building and a five-storey one in the afternoon, creating panic among the residents of the buildings. However, no casualty was reported. Locals claimed that the base of the hill became week after the construction of the five-storey building. Earlier, a chunk of mud collapsed on the roof of a building at Kushumbagh in Lalkhan Bazar early Sunday (June 22, 2014).

Chittagong

Torrential rains over the last three days until Sunday (June 22, 2014) caused severe water logging that paralyzed normal life in the port city and left a number of people marooned in low lying areas. Heavy downpour overnight accompanied by tidal water of the Kharnaphuli River submerged almost the entire city, leaving five million people in utter sufferings. Water flooded parts of the railway track at Sitakunda, forcing the authorities concerned to suspend train movement. Water was flooding the Navy Gate area near Madam Bibir Hat on the Dhaka –Chittagong Railway route. Civil aviation authority has cancelled the flights in Chittagong. Activities in port jetties were also suspended. Office goers, teachers and students of different educational institutions also suffered a lot. Most children did not venture to come out of their homes, as most the city roads were over –flooded with knee-deep water. Beside the port city, Patia upazila was the worst suffering area, where people of a number of villages in utter distress.

Khagrachhari

In Khagrachhari, low-lying areas in the hill district went under water because of the heavy downpour which the district has been experiencing for the last three days. According to Department of Agricultural Extension Department, crops on 3,000 acres of land at nine uapzilas of the district were inundated. Farmers fear that if the rain continues for more a few days then they would have to incur huge losses.

Feni

In Feni, around 8,000 people were marooned as a portion of an embankment at Sripur under Fulgazi upazila collapsed because of flash flood which was caused by torrential rain and the onrush of water from the hills. The flood affected villages are Sripur, Gosaipur, Shaldor, Nilokshi and Bijoypur.

Khulna & Barisal

The interminable rainfall for the last two days battered life of the townsfolk in Khulna and Barisal causing immense suffering to them and hampering their routine activities. Unremitting downpour caused by a depression in the North Bay, adjacent to the Bangladesh Coast, coupled with thunder storm triggered water logging in almost one third of Khulna City area. River communication was disrupted in Barisal district. The river port authority suspended operation and people demanded construction of town protection dam, excavation of canal and introduction of sustainable scientific drainage and sewerage system to resolve water logging in the city.

According to the Met office,  heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in places in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions till today (June 23, 2014) due to the deep convection over the North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh.

According to the Flood Forecasting Warning Center the Muhuri at Parshuram is flowing 20 cm above its danger level on June 22, 2014. All Major Rivers are in rising Trend. Water level of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Ganges-Padma the Meghna may rise in next 72 hours.

Below is the comparison of significant rainfalls between this year and the previous year as on recorded on June 22, 2014

Station NameRainfall in mm in 2014Rainfall in mm in 2013Station NameRainfall in mm in 2014Rainfall in mm in 2013
Mohadebpur (Noagoan)166.30.0Sunamganj105.09.0
Serajganj165.00.0Gaibandha98.50.0
Chittagong155.013.0Tangail95.00.0
Comilla150.0100.0Ramgarh (Chittagong)94.016.0
Teknaf15010.0Lama83.06.0
Pabna138.00.0Chandpur81.00.0
Noakhali127.323.0Kushtia73.40.0
Lorergarh (Sunamganj)125.00.0Mymensingh71.50.2
Rangamati113.56.0Manu Railway Bridge (Moulavibazar)68.030.0
Panchpukuria (Chittagong)106.036.0Durgapur (Netrokona)66.00.0
Source: FFWC

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