A man trudges through flood water in Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet on Thursday, June 16, 2022
© Focus BanglaA man trudges through flood water in Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet on Thursday, June 16, 2022
Around 300,000 people of five upazilas of Sylhet district have been marooned due to an onrush of water from upstream and heavy showers.

Low-lying areas, inclusive of houses, roads, educational institutions and shops of the upazilas, were inundated.

There have been heavy rains since Wednesday morning, which worsened the flood situation.

More than 300 villages, educational institutions, and roads in Companiganj, Gowainghat, and Jaintapur upazilas went under water. Forty-two shelters have been opened in Gowainghat for the flood-hit people.


Meanwhile, the waters of the River Surma entered houses and shops in Sylhet city. It seeped into the wholesale market at Kalighat and Mohajon Potti for the second time in one month.

Road communications among all unions of Gowainghat upazila were snapped. Around 90 percent of the people of the upazila were stranded amid the waters.

Purbo and Paschim and Moddho Jaflong, Purbo and Paschim Alir Gaon, Rustampur, Tuakul, and Lengura were also inundated.


Tahmilur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer of Gowainghat, said: "Many people have become marooned due to the second phase flood. The administration has prepared 42 shelters, and initiative has been taken to take the affected people there."

Meanwhile, Purbo and Paschim Laxmiprashad, Chatul, and low-lying areas of Kanaighat upazila went under water. Hundreds of people of Zakiganj upazila were affected.

Companiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sukanta Chakrabarty said the roads of Sadar upazila were inundated.

According to the Water Development Board, water levels continued to rise in the rivers Surma, Kushiara, Sari, Luva, and Dhalai till Wednesday afternoon.

The water level at Surma was flowing above danger level at Kanaighat and Sylhet points.

Nearly 30 Rangpur villages flooded, 25,000 people marooned.

As many as 25,000 people in the remote char villages of Rangpur have been marooned as at least 30 villages have been flooded due to the ceaseless rains.

According to the Water Development Board (WDB) Control Room, the Teesta was flowing at the danger mark at 9am yesterday at the Teesta Barrage point. It is likely to cross the danger mark soon.

The rising water levels have flooded the villages on the river banks and in the remote areas, leaving 25,000 people waterlogged.

Many families in Gangachara Upazila have taken shelter at the WDB dams.

According to Gangachara Upazila UNO office, villages in Laxmitari, Kolkond, Maraneya, Nohali and Alambiditor unions have been flooded.

Moreover, hundreds of hectares of peanut fields are at risk of destruction as they are already underwater.

Gangachara Upazila UNO Ershad Uddin has already issued an alert for those living on the river banks and inremote areas.

Flood situation worsens in Sunamagnj

In Sunamganj the waters of the Surma River were flowing 55 centimeters above the danger mark, while it was 213 centimeters above the danger mark at Chhatak point on Thursday morning.

The Water Development Board has recorded 185mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours in the district. More than three lakh people have been marooned in the districts due to the flood for the second phase just after one month.

Several hundred houses, more than 200 educational institutions, and at least 100 fish enclosures have gone under water in recent days in Chhatak.

Berajpur, Noapara, Alampur, Bilpar, Dashghar, Krishnanagar, Anondonagar, Bagain, Lakshmipur, Gabindanagar and Mohonpur areas of the upazila are worst affected.