People Take Shelter on Rooftops with Livestock as Water Rushes In
Due to continuous rainfall and rising water levels from India’s upstream areas, at least 20 parts of flood control embankments along the Muhuri, Kahua, and Silonia rivers in Feni have broken. As a result, floodwater has entered nearby villages, flooding large areas and causing serious damage to homes and belongings.
Homes Flooded, People Flee to Higher Places
As water entered homes, many people lost their furniture and household items. Some families were forced to take shelter on the rooftops of neighbors’ two-story buildings, bringing their livestock with them. The situation is getting worse quickly, and the suffering of affected people is increasing.
Roads Underwater, Power and Mobile Services Cut Off
In many areas of Feni, roads are completely underwater, stopping vehicle movement. People are facing even more trouble because electricity and mobile networks are down in the flooded areas.
Read More: ‘We Found Them on Fire’—Parents and Toddler Severely Burned in Jatrabari
Rivers Overflowing, Dozens of Villages Flooded
According to Feni’s Water Development Board:
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12 embankment breaks occurred in Parshuram
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8 breaks occurred in Phulgazi
Among the broken points:
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10 are along the Muhuri River
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6 are along the Kahua River
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4 are along the Silonia River
At least 35 villages are already underwater, and new areas are flooding as time goes on. The number of affected people continues to rise.
Families Living on Rooftops to Survive
In Dakshin Anandapur village of Phulgazi, Tanima Sultana‘s home flooded on Wednesday night. Her furniture was ruined. She and her family, along with their cattle, moved to the roof of neighbor Shahjahan Majumdar’s house.
Not only Tanima—around 10 families are now staying on that rooftop. Similar scenes are happening across Parshuram, Phulgazi, and Chhagalnaiya, affecting thousands of people.
Continuous Rainfall Making It Worse
According to Md. Mojibur Rahman, Acting Officer at Feni Weather Office, the district has been seeing medium to heavy rainfall for four straight days.
As of 9 AM on Thursday (July 9), 51 mm of rain was recorded in the last 24 hours. Light rainfall is expected to continue across the district on Friday (July 11).
River Water Slightly Falling, But New Areas Still Flooding
Akhtar Hossain Majumdar, Executive Engineer at Feni’s Water Development Board, said on Thursday morning that river water was flowing 12 cm below danger level and was slowly decreasing.
However, floodwater is still entering new low-lying areas through the broken embankments. He added that repair work will begin after the water fully recedes and the situation is assessed.
Over 20,000 People Affected, 7,000 in Shelters
Feni Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam said around 20,000 people in Parshuram, Phulgazi, Chhagalnaiya, and parts of Feni Sadar have been affected by the flood.
So far, around 7,000 people have taken shelter in 49 relief centers.
The government has allocated Tk 1.75 million (17.5 lakh) for emergency relief. A control room is monitoring the situation round the clock.
Source: Channel 24
