Floodwater has started to recede from Sunamganj district sadar town as it rained a little in the previous two days. The water, however, is receding rather slowly. Over 90 per cent houses are still under water in the district town. That is why people are not being able to return their homes.
There is shortage of clean water and food grains at the government shelter centres. Some people were out to buy daily essentials and medicines and a few shops were seen open in the flood-hit areas. This was seen in the flood-hit areas from Monday morning to afternoon.
At least 40 families took shelter at Shologhar Government Primary School. They are yet to get sufficient food. The ground floor was still submerged.
Speaking to Fatema Begum, 35, said, “We are nine people here. There is neither food nor water. It turns total dark when night falls. No one came to see our plight.”
It took the two hours to reach Altaf Square from Mohammadpur via Bananipara, Shologhor, Kazir Point, Biharir Point, Hospital Road, Moynar Point, Hussain Bakht Chattar, Mominul Mouzuddin Road, DS Road on foot. Some parts of the road were under knee-high water while some parts under waist-deep water. Innumerable houses, offices of government and private organisations and shops by the sides of the roads were seen submerged. The water level was higher in Natunpara, Hazipara, Sultanpur, Kalipur, Hasonnagar, Boropara, Mohammadpur, Moratilla and Teghoria areas.
The power connection has been restored in a few areas of the town from 5:00pm Monday. A few vehicles have been plying on Sunamganj–Sylhet road while a few long-haul buses left Sunamganj. But the road connection between the district sadar town and other upazilas is yet to be normal.
Rickshaw puller Yakub Ali, 60, has made an arrangement to live placing a few benches together at a room of Shologhar Government Primary School. Her wife, Brishti, 40, was cooking for the family on the bench. They said they starved from Thursday night to Friday afternoon. They ate some chira (flat rice) on Friday afternoon. They are yet to get any relief from anyone.
Speaking Sunamganj deputy commissioner M Jahangir Hossain said the overall situation is improving. The relief distribution is going on. So far, the administration has distributed 780 tonnes of rice, Tk 8 million and 10,000 bags of food grains and dried foods in the district with the help of army and coast guard members.
At Hospital Road, the residence of police super and civil surgeon and the office premises of the civil surgeon were under knee-high water. Civil surgeon M Ahmed Hossain was returning home with two of his colleagues wading through the floodwater.
He said all the hospital in the district except the upazila health complexes in district sadar, Shalla and Dharmapasha are under water. But services at no hospital were stopped. Flood-hit people also took shelter at the hospital building alongside the patients. Many people have taken shelter at the district sadar hospital, the civil surgeon added.
The eight-storey district sadar hospital building was crammed with flood victims and patients. There were hundreds of people up to the 5th floor. Some people have opened temporary shops at every floor. There was a strong stench on every floor. There is no electricity at the hospital. Overall, a totally chaotic and unhygienic situation was prevailing.
Senior lawyer and writer Hossain Taufiq Chowdhury, 79, who resides in Hasonnagar area said, “I’ve seen floods of 1974, 1988 and 2004. But those were not so severe like this time. This is a huge calamity. People are not getting necessary relief materials. They are passing days sometimes without eating anything.”
Sunamganj pourashava mayor Nader Bakht said the water supply will be normal within 1-2 days.
Mentioning that the distribution of relief materials is underway in the town, he said there is enough relief material. “But we are facing problems to take those to the people. We are cooking khichuri for 1000 people every day and distributing those from the pourashava.”
