August 2024 floods in Bangladesh and Tripura: A nexus of erratic rainfall, vanishing waterways, and neglect
Climate change has been impacting Bangladesh and India in myriad ways, with erratic rainfall emerging as a growing phenomenon. In the last few years, many parts of Bangladesh have received abnormally high intensity of rainfall over consecutive days, far exceeding the average pattern, and triggering severe floods
Shimul Chandra Paul, a resident of Parshuram in Feni, woke up to incessant rain for the third consecutive day. The looming risk of flooding, which had seemed unlikely just a day before, had suddenly become a reality. By noon, water had reached his village, rising rapidly with each passing minute. Before he could figure out how to save his belongings, the water level rose too high. Shimul barely managed to save himself, first taking refuge on a tin-shed rooftop before moving to a building in nearby bazaar as the surging waters continued to rise.
"We have never seen such massive rain in our lives. Even our fathers hadn't," said Shimul. Although the water rose rapidly, it didn't recede as quickly. It took over a week for the discharge to begin. By then, Shyamal's house was in ruins, and his properties were irreversibly damaged.
Shimul, his brothers, extended family, and millions of others in southeastern Bangladesh – along with the people in the Indian state of Tripura – were stranded in the prolonged flood in August 2024. Thousands lost their houses and belongings to the flash floods. But, except for inundating national sympathy and private help in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, many victims found no help as the government came up with little hope for them.
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District officials in Cumilla and Feni reported shortages in relief supplies, immediately receiving only 400 metal sheet bundles and Tk12 lakh each, despite much higher demands as thousands of houses were damaged. However, around 300 houses were handed over to the victims by the government this April, while many needs relied on private aid or were simply left unmet as over 8,000 houses were fully or partially damaged in Feni alone.
Bangladesh's Feni has been the most affected besides Cumilla, Noakhali, Chattogram, and Laxmipur, as it rarely experiences floods. So, when consecutive days of heavy rainfall, amounting to hundreds of millimetres, poured down along with a cloudburst, people were caught off guard, lacking prior experience in dealing with floods of this scale.
About 71 people died in southeastern Bangladesh, including 28 in Feni, while 31 lost their lives in the Indian state of Tripura. The floodwater remained for over a week as drainage channels were blocked, and swamps and canals had been lost to encroachment.
As a result, people's suffering worsened. Although private aid poured into flood-affected areas, many struggled without food and water for days, as relief workers faced difficulties reaching remote areas. Even after the water finally receded, the devastation left behind was staggering. Waves of diseases spread, and many victims received little to no assistance for rehabilitation.
Erratic rainfall – the force behind August disaster
From August 19-23, 2024, Bangladesh's Feni recorded 832 mm of rain in just five days, while Comilla received 513 mm and Noakhali 605 mm. This erratic downpour, combined with water cascading from the hilly regions across the Indian border in Tripura, triggered the unprecedented flood in southeastern Bangladesh.
Tripura also recorded one of its highest 24-hour rainfall totals on August 22, 2024. For example, South Tripura District (Bokafa) received 493.6 mm, Sepahijala District (Sonamura) 293.4 mm, West Tripura District (Agartala) 233 mm, and Gomati District (Udaipur) 155 mm in 24 hours, exacerbating the flood situation in the Indian state.
K M Abdul Wadud, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, said both Feni and Tripura receiving a gigantic amount of rain simultaneously overstrained the discharge channels, which were already encroached.
"Water from both sides was released into the same area. The Gomti, Mohuri, Kohua, and Feni rivers are hilly and shallow, with limited capacity. If it had been only upstream water, we would have had some lead time and an opportunity to issue early warnings."
On a monthly estimate, in August 2024, Feni recorded a total of 1,787 mm of rainfall.
According to our analysis of 30 years of daily and monthly data, the previous highest recorded rainfall in August for Feni was 858 mm in 1998. Similarly, Noakhali received 1,646 mm of rain in August 2024, whereas its highest in the past 30 years was 897 mm in 1998. Comilla recorded 880 mm, significantly surpassing its previous near-highest record of 523 mm from the previous year.
Climate change has been impacting Bangladesh and India in myriad ways, with erratic rainfall emerging as a growing phenomenon. In the last few years, many parts of Bangladesh have received abnormally high intensity of rainfall over consecutive days, far exceeding the average pattern, and triggering severe floods.
For instance, in Sylhet, the highest recorded monthly rainfall in June was 1,288 mm in 2006, based on our 30-year data analysis. The average is far below. However, in the past three years, rainfall levels have consecutively far exceeded or come close to this record – reaching 2,124 mm in 2024, 1,485 mm in 2022, and 1,267 mm in 2023.
"The August rainfall in Feni was about three times higher than the 30-year average. Since this massive rainfall occurred in a clustered manner, it became a major trigger for flooding, highlighting the abrupt shift in rainfall patterns due to climate change," said Dr. Md Sarwar Hossain, Associate Professor at the University of Glasgow's School of Social and Environmental Sustainability.
A similar erratic rainfall pattern was also observed on the Indian side in Tripura. But questions remain about whether information was exchanged regarding the opening of the Dumbur Dam gates. If it wasn't shared, we need to determine who is responsible," he said.
When asked if India notified Bangladesh before releasing water from the Dumbur Dam and whether an agreement mandates such notification, Wadud said, "Yes, regional data is shared", and emphasized that they "do not rely solely on Indian data. We use our own assumption models."
What was unusual in the Feni flood was the local rainfall, Wadud said. There was a cloudburst, which added to the regular monsoon rains.
"The Feni event was highly unusual – so many things don't usually happen all at once," he added.
Sarwar Hossain said erratic rainfall is likely to increase in the future, but with canals disappearing and rivers narrowing, flash floods will only heighten the risks further. He also emphasised the need for an early warning system and a robust disaster management mechanism to minimise damage from flash floods.
Vanishing waterways and encroachment
Erratic rainfall triggered the initial flooding, but the decay of rivers and the encroachment on waterways, such as canals, worsened the situation in Bangladesh – prolonging the suffering as floodwaters had nowhere to drain. We investigated satellite images and conducted field visits to see first-hand the ruined canals and encroached waterways.
The Pagli Chhara canal in Feni's Daudpur, for example, illustrates the impact of encroachment and pollution. Once over 30 feet wide, it was navigated by boats and even served as a docking point for cargo ships coming from Noakhali. Now, in some areas, it is less than three feet wide and largely filled in.
"This canal had good water flow even a few years ago, but encroachment has nearly destroyed it," said Nurul Islam, a local resident.
Other canals, such as the Damdama Canal, have become drains. Locals say that dozens of such water bodies have disappeared from Feni city in the last two decades, with canals and water flow filled in or destroyed. Experts warn that the reduction of water bodies in a city significantly increases flood risks.
"Mohuri, Kohua, and Silonia rivers have been encroached on both sides, narrowing the rivers. Houses have been built in riverbeds, and tree plantations along the riverbed have obstructed water flow," said M A Hasan, a journalist based in Feni.
When asked what made the Feni flood worse and why no significant river restoration projects had succeeded, Wadud pointed out the negligence in water management systems.
"Our water flows from north to south, yet we keep building roads that cross from east to west, which creates obstacles. But riverbanks aren't dredged properly – there's no integrated coordination. We face water shortages during the dry season, yet have overflowing rivers during the monsoon. These are also forms of disaster," he added.
Nayma Baten, a meteorologist at the Climate Division of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, said that while erratic rainfall has contributed to flooding, the narrowing of rivers and the disappearance of other water bodies have worsened the flash flood situation.
"Water can no longer flow effectively through the rivers or be released through running water bodies. This was evident when we received heavy rainfall several decades ago – the floods were not as severe because the rivers were free-flowing," she said.
The Feni River, a vital drainage route for Feni, Khagrachari, and Chittagong, flows approximately 153 km into the Bay of Bengal. Nearby, the 50-km Muhuri Project dam, built in 1984 to protect Mirsarai and Sonagazi from floods, has contributed to the formation of chars. Over time, fish enclosures and ponds, established through occupation or leasing, have further obstructed water flow.
Meanwhile, the Gomti River, which flows through Cumilla, has also dried up and narrowed down in places, obstructing its capacity to carry enough water.
"Gomti didn't dry out on its own," said Mohammad Azaz, Chairman of the River & Delta Research Centre (RDRC), referring to the dam in the Indian side of Tripura, which reduced the regular water flow in the river.
"Besides, the swamps and water bodies have also disappeared. The damage done to rivers and water bodies in Bangladesh causes flooding not only in Feni, but also in Sylhet and other areas," he said.
"All the canals and water bodies in Noakhali, Feni, and Laxmipur have been filled. Re-excavation projects for canals must be launched urgently to ensure water discharge. Without this, it will take a long time for water to flow properly," he added.
Negligence in post-flood rehabilitation
The August 2024 flood caused massive damage to lives and livelihoods. Flood victims in these districts, having essentially lost everything, needed assistance from the authorities to rebuild and restart.
However, despite private efforts during the flood to save lives, the people in these areas didn't get adequate support for rehabilitation.
"I got Tk50,000 for rebuilding my house, which was destroyed, but this fund is not enough, so I still couldn't start the rebuilding of my house," Shaymol Chandra said. "But my brothers didn't get a penny from anyone, the flood had damaged their houses too."
When asked about the gaps in relief distribution and funding for flood rehabilitation, Wadud, addressing the lack of funds, said the budgetary timeframe had something to do with poor government response.
"Our disaster management fund is governed by specific rules – there is a Disaster Management Act that allows local collection of funds, but Deputy Commissioners (DCs) often don't collect them. Even when funds are available locally, they must be returned to the government by June [budget year end]. But floods usually begin in July. This becomes a major barrier."
Juel Mahmud, former Programme Coordinator at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), said that erratic precipitation patterns themselves hinder resilience capacity.
"We have mechanisms in place to deal with such flood situations. But the erratic nature of it, coupled with the failure of local officials, exacerbated the suffering of the people," he said.
Md Sirajul Islam, a local social worker, said that flood survivors in remote areas hadn't received help.
"Our agriculture had been severely damaged. While there has been some effort to support farmers with rice seedlings from the northern area, it has been minimal compared to the actual need. If the government could provide enough seeds, fertilisers, or at least subsidised fertilisers, our farmers could have overcome this crisis."
"Our land is fertile. Our watermelons meet the demand of several districts. If our farmers are properly supported, they will stand on their own feet again," Sirajul Islam said.
Mohammad Abed Ali District Relief & Rehabilitation Officer in Cumilla, said that against a demand for one lakh bundles of corrugated metal sheets, they received only 400 bundles and Tk12 lakh. "We submitted our requisition, but the department couldn't provide us with more," he said.
In Feni, on the other hand, about 8659 houses were destroyed in full or partially. District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Mahbub Alam said they also received 400 bundles of corrugated metal sheets and Tk12 lakh besides private help, which was inadequate to the demand.
However, according to a document shared by Mahbub, some other government wings, including the military, have built around 300 houses, which was delivered to the victims this April. The document also lists donations from NGOs and non-profits such as UNDP, WFP, and others.
While most donations ranged between Tk 6,000 and Tk 30,000 – providing a little relief in the rebuilding process – As Sunnah Foundation offered Tk 300,000 per damaged family. However, they were able to assist only 287 families, whereas over 1,700 houses were completely destroyed.
"The flood claimed everything we had, and most of us are now left alone in the fight to rebuild our lives," Shimul said. "Only God knows how we will survive if such a disaster strikes us again."
After last year's flood, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources, promised embankments in strategic locations, modern surveys, cancellation of illegal sand leases, and eviction of river encroachers to prevent future disasters.
Around a year later, at a recent advisory council meeting, the officials discussed finalising designs for the Musapur Regulator and Bamni Closure, permanent embankments in Feni, and freeing drainage canals in Noakhali.
Pointing out that a year has passed and these project discussions remain "finalising" or "ongoing," river researcher Sheikh Rokon wrote in a recent column: "It is inevitable to question: what has the government actually done in the past year to tackle flooding in Feni?
Across the beds of Feni's rivers, there is now cultivation and fish farming. Why couldn't the government remove these encroachments over the past year? No matter how many embankments or structures are built or repaired, they will not be sustainable without clearing these flow paths," he added.
This story was supported by a grant under the Open Climate Reporting Initiative by The Centre for Investigative Journalism, administered by DataLEADS.
