A spotted deer was seen moving about freely and calmly along the road submerged by rising tidal water.
After a video of the scene was shared on social media platform Facebook, many people began asking: How did the deer get there? What will happen to it if the tide rises further?
The scene was from Nijhum Dwip in Hatiya, Noakhali. A resident of the island recorded the video on Thursday morning and posted it online. Upon investigation, it was found that due to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, tidal water had flooded the roads in the Namar Bazar area of Nijhum Dwip. The deer was seen roaming in that water.
Officials from the forest department take care of the deer. It usually stays under the forest department’s office near the Namar Bazar area of the island. Tourists visiting the island often take pictures with it.
Md Sohag, an official from the Nijhum Dwip forest range, told Prothom Alo: "The deer has become accustomed to walking around in such tidal waters. If the water level rises significantly, it instinctively moves to higher ground to take shelter. Once the water recedes, it comes back down. So, there’s no need to relocate the deer to a safer place."
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department reported that due to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, it has been raining in Noakhali District since Wednesday night, accompanied by strong gusty winds. The tidal surge, five to six feet higher than normal, has flooded low-lying coastal areas, including Nijhum Dwip in Hatiya and several other locations.
Reports indicate that from early Thursday morning, tidal water began entering various parts of Hatiya. By noon, the water level had risen further. Most areas of Nijhum Dwip, including Namar Bazar and Bandartila Bazar, were flooded. Water also entered many homes.
“Thursday afternoon, tidal water flooded most parts of the island. Namar Bazar and Bandartila Bazar, two of the island’s main commercial centres, went underwater. Many houses were also inundated. As a result, residents of the island are facing severe hardship," Nijhum Dwip resident Md Jamshed, told Prothom Alo.
Additionally, Nalchira Ghat in Hatiya has been submerged by the rising tide. Local resident Md Ismail Hossain told Prothom Alo: “Due to heavy rain and the depression, the area surrounding the ghat has gone underwater. However, there have been no reports of casualties or major damage so far.”
Nalchira Ghat in Hatiya submerged by tidal water. Photo taken this afternoon by local resident Md. Ismail.
Water transport halted for two days
Due to rough sea conditions caused by the deep depression, all water transport between Hatiya and the rest of the country has been suspended for two days. As a result, over a hundred people are currently stranded at Chairman Ghat in Hatiya.
One of the stranded individuals, Md. Khayer Uddin, a resident of Burir Char in Hatiya, told Prothom Alo: “I arrived at the ghat from the district town yesterday intending to travel to Hatiya, only to find that no speedboats or trawlers were operating from Chairman Ghat. Sea trucks had already been suspended the previous day. I spent the night at a relative’s house nearby and returned to the ghat today, only to find the situation unchanged.”
Hatiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Alauddin told Prothom Alo at around 4 pm today: “Due to the depression, the sea remains rough, and water transport is suspended. Since around 2:30 p.m. today, wind speed has increased, and intermittent rain continues. Tidal water has flooded low-lying areas of Nijhum Dwip, Char Ghasia, and parts of the Hatiya mainland. However, no casualties have been reported so far.”
Hardship reaches Maijdee town too
From Wednesday night until Thursday afternoon, continuous rain has flooded several roads in Maijdee, the district headquarters. Areas affected include Flat Road, the road beside the Shilpakala Academy, and Hakim Quarter Road. Due to the persistent rain, public movement in the town has been noticeably reduced.
Md Rafiqul Islam, the acting officer at the Noakhali District Weather Monitoring Center, told Prothom Alo: “From 3 pm yesterday, Wednesday to 3 pm today, Thursday, 125 millimeters of rainfall have been recorded in Noakhali. More rain is expected due to the deep depression.”