Most parts of Patuakhali town and low lying areas in Galachipa, Kalapara and Dashmina coastal upazilas are reeling under water following the rains amid high tide under the influence of full moon.

About 40 shoals in the three upazilas are now under three to five feet surging water that has washed away about 300 metres of the flood control embankment in Kalapara.

In Barguna, most areas of the district town have gone under water and about 20,000 people have been marooned in low lying areas in the district.

In Netrakona, vast areas in bordering Kalmakanda and Durgapur upazilas have been inundated as rain-fed Someshwari river overflowed its banks at Shakhai on Sunday. At least 3000 people are marooned, official sources said.

Our Patuakhali Correspondent reports: Monsoon rains continued in the district yesterday as high tide and strong wind whipped up waters, paralysing life in the coastal district.

Newly transplanted Aman crops on about 50,000 acres have gone under water. Fishes worth about crores of taka have been washed away it the seven affected upazilas.

District Fisheries Department officials said, 1200 shrimp enclosures and over 5,000 ponds in Galachipa, Kalapara, Dashmina, Bauphal, Dumki, Mirzagonj and Sadar upazilas have been inundated. They said the fishery department has distributed about 1000 metres of nets to fish farm owners at subsidised rate to protect fishes. But this will be of little use as most of the ponds and enclosures are overflowing their banks, they said.

The meteorological department here recorded 500 mm rainfall in the district in the last five days since Thursday.

The high tide under the influence of the full moon aggravated the situation, they said.

The worst affected shoals are Char Ganga and Lata Chapli in Kalapara; Char Halim, Char Agunmukha, Char Karforma, Char Bangla in Galachipa; Ramgopaldi, Khalishakhali and Alipura in Dashmina; Muradia in Dumki and North Badura in the Sadar upazila. At last 40,000 people are affected in the areas.

About two kilometres of the flood control embankment have been badly damaged in the areas, officials of Water Development Board (WDB) and the upazila administration said.

In Kalapara, over 100 families have become homeless as their houses went under water after about 300 metres of the flood control embank was washed away on Friday.

Patuakhali town is unprotected as the proposed town protection embankment has not been built in eight years.

Our Barisal Correspondent reports: Flood protection embankments in Babuganj, Baliatoli, Falishatoli, Kalmegha and Bogi in Barguna Sadar are threatened.

Life has virtually stopped in the district town because of the inclement weather. Work at offices is being hampered.

Fish resources worth lakhs of taka have been washed away as about 100 farms in Barguna Sadar, Amtoli, Taltoli, and Patharghata have been inundated, fisheries officials said. At least 20,000 in these areas have been marooned.

Our Netrakona Correspondent reports: Seven out of 14 unions in Durgapur and Kalmakanda upazilas have been inundated by water from hills across the border.

The affected unions are Birishiri, Kakoyergora and Gaokandia in Durgapur upazila; and Karnai, Pugla, Borkapon and Kalmakanda Sadar union in Kalmakanda upazila.

The Someshwari, Mogra, Kongsa and Dhonu rivers in the district are rising.

One-third area of Kalmakanda upazila headquarter has gone under two to three feet water. At least 300 houses have been washed away. People there are suffering for food, fodder and drinking water.

The road from Kalmakanda upazila headquarter to bordering Gobindapur Bazaar has gone under water at several points, snapping the road link.

Road communication between the district headquarter and Durgapur Sadar is snapped as a portion of the road has been damaged near Jangail Bazar in Durgapur upazila.

Water Development Board (WDB) sources in Netrakona said they are monitoring the situation.

The situation is still under control, WDB Executive Engineer Mohammad Alauddin told newsmen yesterday.