Sylhet floods: Waters start receding, slight relief for victims

After being battered by heavy rains and onrush of upstream water for the past few days, water levels in the rivers in Sylhet have started to recede, improving the flood situation in various areas.

According to the water development board (WDB), as of 9am on Friday, the water level of the Surma River was flowing 16 centimeters above the danger mark at Sylhet point and 65 centimeters above the danger mark at Kanaighat point. 

On the other hand, the Kushiyara River was flowing 61 centimeters above the danger mark at Amalsid point, 13 centimeters at Sheola point, 1.2 centimeters at Fenchuganj point, and 24 centimeters at Sherpur point.

Except for a 0.1 cm rise in the Kushiyara River at Fenchuganj point, water levels have decreased by a few centimeters at different points since Thursday evening.

Shah Mohammad Sajib Hossain, assistant meteorologist at Sylhet meteorological department, said in the last 24 hours, Sylhet experienced 20mm of rain as there was no rainfall from yesterday noon until Friday morning.

Meanwhile, the local meteorological department has forecast moderate to heavy rains in some parts of Sylhet due to active monsoon conditions. The ongoing rainfall is expected to continue for the next five days, said a bulletin on Thursday afternoon.

In the past three weeks, Sylhet city has been inundated five times due to heavy rains, affecting hundreds of areas and causing untold suffering to the dwellers.

At least 700,000 people of Sylhet city and district have been inundated over the past few days, forcing the authorities concerned to open shelter centres to relocate them.

Earlier, on 29 May, heavy rains and onrush of upstream water caused flooding in Sylhet, and the situation began to normalise from 8 June.

However, continuous rains starting from the early hours of 17 June led to another flood in the district.