Sylhet floods worsening

The flood situation in Sylhet has been deteriorating fast with the rivers inundating vast tracts of land and upending the lives of millions.

An additional 500,000 people were affected yesterday as large parts of Moulvibazar and Habiganj got flooded.

Hundreds of neighbourhoods in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts were inundated the night before Eid.

The number of people affected by the floods rose to 2.1 million, and over 51,000 moved to 1,685 shelters.

According to Bangladesh Water Development Board, water level of the Surma, a major river in the region, fell a bit, but was still above the danger level yesterday while the Kushiyara swelled fast, crossed the danger level, and then started to fall slowly.

In Moulvibazar, the Manu, Dhalai and Juri rivers swelled fast and were flowing above the danger levels, while the Khowai in Habiganj and the Sari and Gowain in Sylhet were below danger levels.

Debojit Singha, additional divisional commissioner of Sylhet, said, "More areas are being inundated. Our focus is on relief efforts to ease people's sufferings."

Thousands of people in the districts were eating dry food as cooking was not an option in the flooded villages.

Balai Malakar, who took refuge at Dighli Govt Primary School in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj, said his four grandchildren were refusing to eat flattened and puffed rice.

"The children are crying. They have not eaten a proper meal since early Monday. Besides, there is an acute shortage of drinking water," he said, adding that there was waist-high water in his village.

Officials said the government has provided adequate amounts of rice, dry food, baby food, and cash for people.

Sylhet City Corporation yesterday fed 32,000 people khichuri twice at the shelters.

In Moulvibazar's Shyamerkona area, Sadi Miah, 8, and Hridoy Miah, 17, drowned in flood water yesterday, said Akther Uddin, chairman of Chandnighat Union Parishad.

Zahid Faruk, state minister for water, told reporters in Sunamganj that the government had a project to dredge 20 rivers in Sunamganj to reduce flooding. The Surma is being dredged and all the broken dykes will be repaired by next monsoon.

The government postponed four Higher Secondary Certificate examinations in Sylhet until July 8.