All messed up in a sudden flood

Ayub Ali, Ctg: Heavy rains and landslides have caused severe flooding in three upazilas of South Chittagong, Satkania, Lohagara and Chandnaish. Hundreds of thousands of people in these upazilas were stuck in water for three consecutive days. The flood situation gradually improved from Thursday (August 10). As the flood water recedes, one after another the scars are floating.
Various flood affected areas were visited, most of the mud houses submerged under the water were destroyed. The household furniture was destroyed. Big potholes have appeared on various regional roads. Some parts of the road have been swept away by the current. Electric poles were broken at several places.
Various equipment of the electrical sub-station were destroyed due to submergence. In addition, vast areas of crop fields have been inundated. The fish projects of different areas have been washed away.
All in all, a sudden and terrible flood has disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in three upazilas. The familiar soil is now very unfamiliar to them. The victims do not know when they will be able to cope with this loss.
82-year-old Ashab Mia, a resident of Kenochia Union of SatkaniaUpazila, said, I have never seen so much water in my life. This year the monsoons started much earlier, but there was no rain. It rained twice in the month of Asadha. But towards the end of Shravana, it started raining. Houses were submerged on Tuesday after a week of continuous rain. We went to a relative’s house in Thakurdighi area. Yesterday after the water receded, I came home and found nothing. The mud house was completely destroyed.
Chadaha union farmer Shah Alam said, I cultivated various vegetables on land like 3 Kani. Everything was washed away by the flood water. Besides, there is nothing left in the house.
Water and electricity shortages
Food shortages have intensified in flood-affected areas. Most homes now do not have cooking facilities. Dry food has also become scarce. The markets are not sitting properly in the areas. There are not enough vegetables due to the decline of farms. No clean water. A handful of people have come under the government-private relief. The rest are living a miserable life.
Chittagong district administration relief and rehabilitation officer Md. Chaifullah Majumder told Daily Industry that it is not yet possible to estimate the amount of damage caused by the flood. It is time consuming. However, relief distribution activities are continuing on behalf of the district administration. In Satkaniaupazila, 60 tons of rice and 3.5 lakh cash and dry food have been given so far. 45 tons of rice and 2.5 lakh cash and dry food were given in Chandanishupazila and 50 tons of rice and 3 lakh cash and dry food were given in Lohagaraupazila.
Meanwhile, electric poles were broken by the flow of flood water. Substation submerged in water. Due to this, there is no electricity in the flood-affected areas for four consecutive days. No mobile phone connection. Relatives are unable to find anyone. As soon as the evening falls, darkness descends over the area. Meanwhile, yesterday (Wednesday) the news of robbery spread in several areas of Satkaniaupazila.
Ctg-Cox’s Bazar highway was under water
Chandnaish, Satkania and Lohagaraupazilas were submerged in the flood water, and various parts of the Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway were cut off. Somewhere on the road, the water rises up to the knees and sometimes up to the waist. Due to this, the traffic through it was stopped for two days on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, as the water level receded from Wednesday night, the traffic on the road was normal from Thursday morning.
Dead bodies floating one after another
Five dead bodies were found in Chandnaish, Lohagara and Satkania in three days. The body of a private university student named Junayedul Islam Zarif was recovered from the public welfare area of Amirabad Union of Lohagaraupazila on Tuesday. The body of a person named Ashab Mia (65) was recovered from Chuntipara area of Padua Union of the same upazila on Wednesday. He is a resident of North Amirabad Chatlapara area of the upazila. In the afternoon of the same day, another body named Tanveer Uddin (20) was recovered from Burma Market area of Mirzakhil in Satkania municipality.
Besides, the body of a person named Abu Syed (83) who was swept away by the flood water was recovered from Jamizuri area of Dohazari Municipality of ChandnaishUpazila (Thursday). The body of the old man’s grandson Anas (10) was recovered from the same area yesterday.