Millions still waterlogged in six upazilas of Feni

Six upazilas of Feni district are still flooded. The water has not receded yet. Waterlogged, millions of people are suffering. The crisis of potable water is turning acute. The army, navy, Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB), the fire service and voluntary organisations are continuing with their rescue operations.

This has been revealed after speaking to local residents, fire service and civil defence officials and representatives of voluntary organisations as well as vising various parts of Feni Sadar today, Friday.

A Sylhet-bound bus travelling from Chattogram got stuck in the flood water on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway. The bus got stuck in Nijkunjara village under ward no.9 of no.10 Ghopal union in Chhagalnaiya upazila of Feni with around 50 passengers onboard. The bus had left Chattogram on last Wednesday.

Due to the torrential rains from the last few days and flash flood coming down from Tripura in India has completely flooded the three upazilas of Chhagalnaiya, Fulgazi and Parshuram. According to district administration sources, people in 80 per cent of the areas in Sadar and Daganbhuiyan upazilas have become waterlogged as well.

Meanwhile, water has breached into all the unions of Sonagazi upazila. About 350,000 (3.5 lakh) people are in distress. Plus, about 100,000 people are still left waterlogged in different villages. There’s no electricity in almost all the areas that have been flooded. And, most of the cellphone towers have gone inactive causing disruption in communication.

While visiting three unions in Feni Sadar upazila from 9:00 am this morning, houses, roads, croplands and open fields were found submerged under water. Series of houses were found deserted in many villages. Meanwhile, residents were found waterlogged in some areas.

The fire service started rescue operation in this area from 10:00 am on Friday morning. Deputy assistant director of the organisation in Chattogram office, Mohammad Abdullah told Prothom Alo that two of their teams have started operation already. At least 100,000 (1 lakh) people are still left waterlogged in Feni.  

No long distance bus travelling to different parts of the country including Dhaka and Noakhali were seen operating from AK Khan and Alangkar bus terminals in Chattogram city at 8:00 am this morning. Trucks, container carrying trailers, cars and mini trucks have been noticed moving on the highway.

However, some mini buses were operating from Chattogram city to Baraiyarhat in Mirsarai upazila. This correspondent started for Feni a 7:00 am and arrived in Feni by walking some distance, taking a CNG-run auto-rickshaw to some distance and taking a bus to some distance.

This correspondent talked to a job holder named Md Alamgir at AK Khan area on Friday morning. The man is from Cumilla. His house there has been submerged underwater. He wished to go to Cumilla to bring his family members in Chattogram.

However, he didn’t find a bus even after waiting for an hour. Finding no other way, he boarded one of the buses travelling to Bariyarhat. Md Alamgir said he would have to change vehicles on the way. He fell into trouble for his house being inundated.

Speaking to truck drivers and visiting different parts of Feni Sadar upazila it has been learnt that flood water has accumulated on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in the portion of Feni and Cumilla. In some places the water level is knee-high while in some other places it is chest-high. The buses are unable to ply because of that.

A truck driver named Mohammad Saiful was travelling to Dhaka but he got stuck with his truck when he arrived at Mirsarai area in Chattogram on Thursday afternoon. He couldn’t move any further.

While visiting in person, thousands of vehicles were found stuck on at least 30 kilometres of road moving from Bariyarhat area in Mirsarai to Dhaka. Some were left stuck for 10 hours, some others for 24 hours straight. The women and children have fallen into deep trouble. Many carried their children and left for their destinations on foot.

A couple, Yasmin Akhter and Joynal Mia were travelling to Dhaka with their daughter. They had boarded the bus on Thursday afternoon.Then they got stuck on the road just when they were about to enter Feni Sadar upazila. After waiting out the night, they started walking around 10:00 am this morning. Later, they joined a group of people to hire a mini truck. Joynal said they would travel on the wrong side of the road as far as they can go.