Gaibandha, July 18 (UNB) – The normal life came to grinding halt after the district town went under water on Thursday night, causing untold sufferings to thousands of its residents.
The town was inundated after gushing water breached 20 points of the city embankment.
Roksana Begum, the acting deputy commissioner of the district, said the administration is trying to repair the damaged parts.
At the confluence of the Jamuna and Brahmaputra rivers, the water was flowing nearly six feet (191cm) above the danger level at Fulchhari point, said Mokhlesur Rahman, executive engineer of the Water Development Board.
The water of the Ghaghot River has risen 91cm above the danger level.
People in the town were mostly forced to stay indoors. The district’s rail communications with the northern parts remained suspended for the second consecutive day.
More than 700 schools across the district have been shut down. Some of them are being used as shelters but they lack food, drinking water and sanitation facility.
In rural areas, people are sharing shelters with their precious livestock but the shortage of fodder is turning out to be a headache for them. Many people have taken shelter on boats in Char areas.
Municipality Mayor Syed Jahangir Kabir Milon said they are trying to protect the town and its residents. The municipality is providing one meal a day to people in dire need, he said.
The administration said it is distributing relief materials but many affected people said they did not receive anything. “We’re having a very hard time. Let alone relief, nobody even contacted us,” one of them said.
Although the situation shows no sign of improvement, WDB official Mokhlesur is optimistic that the floodwater will start receding at night as there is no rain now.
Flood swamps Gaibandha town
Gaibandha, July 18 (UNB) – The normal life came to grinding halt after the district town went under water on Thursday night, causing untold sufferings to thousands of its residents.
The town was inundated after gushing water breached 20 points of the city embankment.
Roksana Begum, the acting deputy commissioner of the district, said the administration is trying to repair the damaged parts.
At the confluence of the Jamuna and Brahmaputra rivers, the water was flowing nearly six feet (191cm) above the danger level at Fulchhari point, said Mokhlesur Rahman, executive engineer of the Water Development Board.
The water of the Ghaghot River has risen 91cm above the danger level.
People in the town were mostly forced to stay indoors. The district’s rail communications with the northern parts remained suspended for the second consecutive day.
More than 700 schools across the district have been shut down. Some of them are being used as shelters but they lack food, drinking water and sanitation facility.
In rural areas, people are sharing shelters with their precious livestock but the shortage of fodder is turning out to be a headache for them. Many people have taken shelter on boats in Char areas.
Municipality Mayor Syed Jahangir Kabir Milon said they are trying to protect the town and its residents. The municipality is providing one meal a day to people in dire need, he said.
The administration said it is distributing relief materials but many affected people said they did not receive anything. “We’re having a very hard time. Let alone relief, nobody even contacted us,” one of them said.
Although the situation shows no sign of improvement, WDB official Mokhlesur is optimistic that the floodwater will start receding at night as there is no rain now.