Over 1 lakh people stranded in Sunamganj’s third wave of floods

The third wave of floods this monsoon have left over one lakh people stranded in their homes in Sunamganj, officials and relief workers said today (12 July). 

The north-eastern district of Bangladesh has been grappling with floodings due to continuous rainfall and the onrush of water from the upstream hills in India.

Floods hit the district first on June 16. The second round of flooding began on July 1 and now the water levels in all the rivers of the district have risen abnormally, causing the third wave of flooding.

The main river in Sunamganj, the Surma, has already crossed the danger level. As a result, more than 100,000 people in the district are now waterlogged.

Due to the heavy downpour and the surge of water, the Surma River at the Solghar Point in the municipal town of Sunamganj rose 30 centimeters above the danger level at noon.

The Water Development Board of Sunamganj reported that as of 6am on Friday, the Surma River at Solghar point was flowing 30 centimeters above the danger level.

According to the water development board, the heavy rainfall in India’s Cherrapunji has caused water to flow rapidly into Sunamganj through the border rivers of Dhopajan, Jadukata and Piyain, as well as through the Khasiamar, Chela, and Patlai rivers, resulting in the Surma River crossing the danger level.

Moreover, the water level in the haors has risen, creating flood conditions in various parts of Sunamganj, leaving hundreds of thousands of people stranded.

Mamun Haoladar, executive engineer of the Sunamganj Water Development Board, said that due to the continuous heavy rainfall over the last 24 hours and the incessant flow of water from the hills in India, the water level in the Surma River has risen above the danger level, causing floods in the low-lying areas of the district.