Over 300 villages in Lakshmipur cut off, cry for drinking water
The situation is particularly dire along the Mandari-Kushakhali road, a 15-kilometre stretch that is now navigable only by boat
- Severe water shortage; tube wells submerged
- Relief water only source of hope
- Boats scarce; residents use makeshift rafts
- Many rely on tractor trolleys for transport
- Health dept distributing water purification tablets
- 198 shelters opened, housing over 30,000 people
Over 300 villages in Lakshmipur district have become isolated due to severe flooding, leading to a shortage of drinking water.
The situation is particularly dire along the Mandari-Kushakhali road, a 15-kilometre stretch that is now navigable only by boat.
The road is submerged under three to four feet of water, making it nearly impossible for residents to travel on foot. For many, the only mode of transport is a tractor-trolley. This scene was observed on Wednesday and Thursday as floodwaters continued to wreak havoc in the region.
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Zamir Sardar, an elderly resident of the Jamirtali area, said, "The sick are suffering immensely. We can't reach the hospital or the market. It's all water, water everywhere. We've been trapped by the floods since last Saturday, and before that, the area was submerged for over a month."
At landlord Komar Uddin Mijhi's houses on the Digli-Mandari road, 42 families used to live. Now, only 10 remain. The others have sought refuge in shelters or with relatives.
Kohinoor Begum, the only one left in her household, said, "I stayed behind to guard against theft. We barely manage to eat once a day because there's no dry place to cook. There's water everywhere."
With five to six feet of water, there's no way to travel beyond the road. Boats are scarce, and some residents have resorted to makeshift rafts made from banana trees to move short distances.
"In every village, all the tube wells are submerged. There's no drinking water available anywhere in the area. The relief water being provided is now our only source of hope," said Kalu Mia, a local resident.
On Wednesday evening, after travelling through floodwaters for nearly 10 kilometres, groups of people were seen returning home with bottles of drinking water.
Monowara, another resident, shared her ordeal, saying, "I couldn't drink a glass of water all day. Later at night, my husband brought a jug of water from a distant house."
Heavy rainfall combined with a rush of water from Noakhali caused water levels in Lakshmipur to rise rapidly.
By Monday, the floods had become severe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate to safer places. By Thursday, the water level had dropped by about six inches, but the floodwaters were still flowing from east to west across the roads.
According to local sources, since 24 August, 45 out of 58 unions and three out of four municipalities in Lakshmipur have been flooded. In Sadar Upazila, 90% of the area is underwater, and what started as severe waterlogging in Char Kadira and Char Poragachha unions has now escalated into full-blown floods.
An official from the Lakshmipur Local Government Engineering Department said the department will begin assessing the damage once the water recedes. The situation is still too critical for an accurate evaluation.
Lakshmipur Civil Surgeon Dr Ahmad Kabir said the health department, along with the Public Health Engineering Department and the Red Crescent, is distributing water purification tablets and providing safe drinking water in affected areas.
Speaking to The Business Standard, Nahid-Uz Zaman Khan, executive engineer of the Water Development Board in Lakshmipur, said, "Water levels in several areas have dropped by four to six inches since Wednesday due to a lack of rainfall. It will take a few more days for the water to recede entirely."
The Lakshmipur district administration has opened 198 shelters, housing over 30,000 people. To support flood victims, the district administration has allocated 155 tonnes of rice as relief.
