SYLHET: The flood situation in Sylhet worsened further during the last 24 hours with the rise in water level in the Surma and Kushiyara rivers.
Many areas in the Sylhet city including the Shahjalal Upashahar area, Masimpur, Sobhanighat, Teroratan, Kalighat, Chhararpar, Sheikhghat, Kazirbazar, Taltola, Kushighat, Mendibag etc went under water.
SCC's Chief Engineer Nur Azizur Rahman said the SCC is working to protect some of the erosion-hit places.
WDB's executive engineer of Sylhet Asif Ahmed said the situation has been aggravated with the gushing waters from the Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura where incessant rains continued till today. The Surma and Kushiyara rivers are flowing above danger level at various points, he said.
Vast areas in Kanaighat, Zakiganj, Golapganj, Gowainghat and Fenchuganj upazilas have been flooded due to the 20 breaches developed on various points of the Surma dyke. Road link of Sylhet with Kanaighat and Gowainghat had been snapped.
Vast tracts of lands and homesteads in Sylhet Sadar, Jaintapur, Gowainghat, Kanaighat, Companiganj, Golapganj, Fenchuganj and Zakiganj upazilas remained inundated.
Meanwhile, UNB adds: Incessant rains in neighbouring India's Meghalaya district over the last few days and onrush of upstream hilly waters have caused many rivers in Sunamganj have breached the danger mark.
In Sunamganj, residents of low-lying areas have been forced to leave their houses, with the flood situation worsening in the wake of the Surma river breaching the danger mark.
"Water is flowing above the danger level at Sholaghar point of the Surma river in the city, along with other rivers like the Jadukata River in Tahirpur. Adding to the woes, 102mm of rainfall have been recorded in Sunamganj in the last 24 hours," said Jahurul Islam, executive engineer of the Water Development Board.
In Chhatak upazila, water levels have crossed 152cm in the Surma river, said Md Mamunur Rahman, Chatak upazila nirbahi officer.
This correspondent saw water entering the residential areas of Shoalaghar, Nabinagar, Dharargaon, Jail Road, North Arpin Nagar, Tegharia and Barapara in the Sunamganj municipal area on Tuesday morning.
Bimal Chandra Shom, deputy director of Sunamganj Agricultural Department, said, "500 hectares of Boro land are under water in Sunamganj Sadar, Tahirpur, Chhatak and Doarabazar upazilas. We estimate crop damages to the tune of Tk 50 million (5 crore)."
In Barishal, Ahsan Alam, a surveyor of the Barishal Water Development Board, said that the Surma and Meghna rivers flowed 3cm and 41cm, respectively, above the danger mark in Daulatkhan and Tajumuddin upazilas.
Similarly, the Tentulia, Bishkhali and Biskhali rivers flowed 5cm, 6cm and 7cm, respectively, beyond the red level.
Officials of the Water Development Board said they were concerned about riverbank erosion in the coastal areas of the division.
"We're trying to stop the erosion by placing geobags," said the surveyor.
forsylhet@gmail.com