Sylhet rivers keep swelling despite reduced rains

Although heavy rainfall has subsided in Sylhet onrush of upstream water continues to swell the district's rivers, keeping several areas waterlogged and increasing the risk of further flooding.

According to the Sylhet office of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Surma and Kushiyara rivers were flowing above the danger mark at four points of as of 9am Tuesday.

Surma, Kushiyara rivers flow above danger level in Sylhet; flood fears loom

Surma was flowing at 13.69 metres at Kanaighat, 0.94 metres above the danger level, the Kushiyara was at 17.36 metres in Amalshid (1.96m above the danger level), 13.52 metres in Sheola (0.47m above), and 9.98 metres in Fenchuganj (0.53m above).

Water levels at all four points rose compared to Monday.

While no new areas were inundated on Tuesday, many low-lying villages and roads in five unions of Zakiganj upazila remained submerged.

Local authorities said the water receded from the market area by early today (3 June) morning.

Apart from Surma and Kushiyara, water levels have also increased in the Dholai, Lova, Sari, and Dawki rivers.

Only the Sari-Goyain river saw a slight decrease in water level.

Several upazilas including Gowainghat, Companiganj, Fenchuganj, Kanaighat, Jaintiapur, Beanibazar, and Osmaninagar have been flood.

In Zakiganj upazila, multiple breaches along the Kushiyara river's embankments led to inundation of villages and homes while many rural roads went under water, leaving people stranded.

Zakiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mahbubur Rahman said the exact number of affected villages and people could not be confirmed yet.

Five unions in the upazila have been partially flooded and 9 members of two families have taken shelter at two local centres, he said.

Beanibazar UNO Golam Mustafa Munna said a control room has been set up and 68 shelter centres prepared in view of the flood risk.

"Though it cannot be called a full-scale flood yet, some villages have been affected due to embankment breaches," he said, adding that BGB members placed sandbags to repair damaged embankments.

According to the Sylhet Meteorological Office, 26.6 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in the district in the 24 hours until 6am Tuesday.

WDB Sylhet Executive Engineer Deepak Ranjan Das said onrush of water from India continues causing river water levels to rise despite rainfall easing.

If there's no fresh heavy rainfall, the situation may normalise within the next couple of days, he said.