Flash flood waters rush in, vehicular movement halts on Akhaura-Kasba road
Though the flood waters have started receding in Akhaura of Brahmanbaria, the worries remain. The soil on the south side of Noyadil and Debgram bridge in the upazila has collapsed, increasing sufferings of the distressed.
Local residents said that the flash flood waters from India is rushing in through bordering Joynagar area in Aakhaura. Basically the water is flowing in from India through Zajira, Kata and Kalandi canals that flow right beside the Akhaura immigration in the upazila adjacent to Haora river and Agartala.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) in Akhaura Gazala Parvin Ruhi told Prothom Alo that the flood water has started receding in the upazila. Soil on one side of the Noyadil bridge collapsed around 12:30 am on Thursday night. Vehicular movement on that bridge has been kept suspended for the moment.
Speaking on this matter, chairman of Mogra union parishad (UP) in the upazila MA Matin said that the soil on the south side of the bridge on Noyadil and Debgram road in the upazila collapsed on Thursday midnight. Besides, an electric pole and a concrete house have fallen in Noyadil area.
Since the bridge in Noyadil area is in a highly risky condition, vehicular movement on the road between Akhaura and Kasba remains closed. The water is still flowing in fast. And, as the communication has been severed, passenger crossing through Akhaura immigration remains closed, he added.
Executive engineer at the Brahmnanbaria office of the Water Development Board (WDB) Md Manjur Rahman told Prothom Alo that the danger level of Haora river is 6.05 metre at Gangasagar point of Akhaura.
On Thursday night water flowed there at the height of 5.79 metre. At 9:00 am today, Friday morning, the water level decreased 9 centimetres to 5.70 metre and that is 35 centimetres below the danger line. The water level in Titas river and Meghna river is increasing though, he added.
Local residents said that the flood situation in Akhaura depends on the rainfall in Agartala. There has been no rainfall in Agartala and Akhaura from yesterday till 9:00 am this morning. However, the sky remains cloudy in Akhaura as well as in Agartala. If there’s more rainfall, the water level will increase causing the flood situation to deteriorate even further.
According to the upazila administration sources the heavy rainfall and the flash flood flowing downstream from the state of Tripura in India, the road has collapsed in eight spots including in two spots on the Haora river embankment.
As many as 36 villages in seven unions of Akhaura and Kasba upazilas have been flooded from this upstream flow of water leaving 5,000 people waterlogged.
Leaving their inundated houses behind, people are taking shelter upstream in their relatives’ houses and in the shelter centres of the 11 government primary schools in the upazila. Around 300 people have taken refuge in these shelter centres. Meanwhile, 15 roads in Akhaura upazila have been submerged underwater.
College teacher Abhijit Roy, a resident of Kandirpara in Brahmanbaria had taken his father Badal Roy to Narayana Hospital in India for treatment. Following the treatment, they reached Agartala by plane at 3:00 pm on Thursday and got stuck there.
Abhijit Roy told Prothom Alo over the phone, “We are stuck at a relative’s house in Agartala due to the floods. There has been no rain in Agartala from Thursday till 9:00 am on Friday. However, the sky is cloudy and it can rain at any moment.”