Heavy rainfall and an onrush of water from upstream have caused the Surma and Jadukata rivers to flow well above the danger level, heralding a second wave of flooding in Sunamganj this monsoon.
In the past 24 hours, the water level of the Surma River at Sunamganj station has risen by 69 centimeters, 12 centimeters above the danger level, and by 23 centimeters at Chhatak.
As a result, streets in Saheb Bari, Uttar Arpinnagar, and Baganbari in Sunamganj municipal town have been inundated. Rural roads in several upazilas, including Sadar, Jagannathpur, and Tahirpur, have also been submerged.
The border river Jadukata in Tahirpur is flowing 96 centimeters above the danger level. Road communication between Tahirpur and Sunamganj is currently halted due to the mountain torrents.
A resident of Dowarabazar upazila, Akram Ali, said, “We haven’t yet recovered from the damage of the last flood. Now, we are facing the threat of another. It’s becoming impossible to survive.”
Amria Bibi of Ibrahimpur in Sadar upazila said, “Water had reached waist level inside our house, and while the water outside has receded a bit, it’s still rising. We haven’t yet repaired the damage from the last flood. If there’s another flood, we’ll face new damage. How will we cope?”
In the past 24 hours, Sunamganj has received 170 millimeters of rain, while Cherrapunji received 313 millimeters. If the rainfall and mountain torrents continue, there is a high risk of another flood in Sunamganj.
The Water Development Board has warned that continuous rainfall will worsen the flood situation. The organization’s executive engineer, Mamun Howlader, stated, “Due to heavy rainfall and mountain torrents, the rivers in Sunamganj have surpassed danger levels. The rainfall is expected to continue for another two days, which will further deteriorate the flood situation.”
