Monsoon's final fury wreaks havoc in Sylhet, Satkhira

Relentless rain, which has been battering various parts of the country for nearly a week, shifted its focus mostly to Sylhet and Satkhira on Saturday, taking a heavy toll on the people of the two districts.

The Met Office reported that the formation of a low-pressure system has been causing the rainfall over the past few days. Meteorologists refer to this rainfall as the "final onslaught" of the monsoon season.

Sylhet city for the third time this year faced heavy rains and flooding.

Ward-6 Councilor of Sylhet City Farhad Chowdhury Shamim said, "We faced waterlogging again even though the city corporation cleared all the drains and canals on time. It is not possible to get rid of this suffering without excavating the Surma river." 

The urgency of the situation was felt more deeply at Sylhet's Osmani Medical College Hospital, where a flooded ground floor had disrupted healthcare services.

Arup Raut, a doctor, had just arrived in the hospital in the morning after wading through knee-deep water.

Patients were also seen trying to find some semblance of dry ground, even if on an elevated stretcher, or the staircase.

"The water is still rising. If the water rises further, I will need to abandon the house. This is the situation of almost every family in our area," said Abdur Rahman, a resident of Pirojpur area of South Surma.

As waters continued to rise many tried to rescue their belonging from their ground level housing, others considered abandoning their homes for higher ground. Photo: TBS

MJH Jamil, a resident of Shahjalal upazila in the district, said water began entering the ground floor of the building overnight.

He expressed anger that the relevant authorities were not taking the initiative to permanently prevent the waterlogging in the city.

"As a result, the people of the city have to face such a situation again and again," he said.

Nur Azizur Rahman, chief engineer of Sylhet City Corporation, said the waterlogging was caused due to heavy rain and that it will recede once the rain subsides.

He also said the residents living in the city also needed to remain alert and ensure that drains in their area are kept free of obstructions.

"It is also important to excavate the Surma river," he added.

Satkhira drowning 

Due to no-drainage of rainwater, the lower regions of Satkhira were flooded yesterday, making lives miserable for millions of its residents.

Due to obstruction in water flow, water did not discharge through the canals submerging Khaderdanga area in the centre of Tala upazila. 

Syed Khalid Hasan from Majhiara village explained that the town's drainage relies on canals, but the fish enclosure weir in Khaderdanga canal is obstructing water flow. 

Consequently, thousands of people were stranded in stagnant water, causing widespread waterlogging in certain areas with submerged roads and houses, he said.

Floods persist across the city, hampering all forms of transportation. Photo: TBS

Millions of people in Satkhira Sadar, Asashuni and Tala upazilas were stranded by floodwater. Some were seen taking shelter in trees or higher land.

Satkhira Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Humayun Kabir said that river and canal digging projects were ongoing to remove waterlogging. "The people of Satkhira will be freed from waterlogging after the excavation work is completed."

No rain on Saturday, but Dhaka suffers

Despite the absence of rain in Dhaka yesterday, the city's residents endured significant hardships caused by accumulated muddy water in road ditches across various areas.

People in the capital, especially in areas where various government agencies are conducting excavation works, faced significant difficulties. 

Many parts of the city experienced flooding as a result of road construction and drainage system upgrades. 

Water accumulated in road ditches, and vehicles, including small cars and CNG-powered auto-rickshaws, faced difficulties navigating through potholes, leading to traffic jams.

Record rain

Meteorologist Bazlur Rashid told The Business Standard, "Rainfall typically increases when the monsoon winds recede. This time, the conjunction of the land low-pressure system has amplified the rain."

The Met Office said the rainy season is characterised by monsoon winds, which continue to blow until mid-October. 

Meteorologist Kh Hafizur Rahman told TBS that light to moderate rain may occur across the country today. Some locations across the country may experience moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall.

According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), the highest rainfall in the country, 370mm, was recorded in Sylhet at 6pm on Friday to 6pm on Saturday. In this time Dhaka recorded 96mm rainfall.

According to BMD, the highest rainfall in the country, 476mm, was recorded in Kishoreganj district's Nikli upazila between 6pm on Thursday to 6pm on Friday.

In 2001, 590mm of rainfall was recorded in Sandwip in 24 hours. Meanwhile, on 26 June 2012, 463mm of rainfall was recorded in Chattogram.