Water enters Sylhet city polling centres, more flooding feared
Due to nearly continuous rains over the last few days, water has entered polling centres of Sylhet City Corporation elections and the situation is feared to worsen significantly before the polls.
In total, voting will be held at 190 centres and water entered about 4 to 5 of these on Monday.
Due to consistent rainfall, a short-term flood is also expected across the Sylhet district on Tuesday with city areas likely to be affected as major regional rivers keep swelling.
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According to the Sylhet meteorological office, 112 milimetres of rain was recorded from 6am to 12pm Monday. Rain is also expected on the election day, a local government meteorologist told The Business Standard on Monday.
As of Monday noon, a high school and a primary school in Sylhet city's Bharthokhola area were flooded, with water entering classrooms. Another government primary school in the city's Kumargaon area was also flooded. All the three schools have been selected as polling centres.
Foysal Quader, returning officer for Sylhet city elections, said there has been rain for the past four days. Some parts of fields in four-five schools have gone under water, but the school buildings are yet to be flooded, he said.
The city corporation authorities have been asked to drain water from the flooded school fields and fill up submerged areas with sand, he said.
Election preparations are almost complete, with installation works for over 1,600 closed circuit television cameras due to be finalised by Monday. Election materials and equipment will be sent to polling centres from Tuesday morning, Foysal said.
Short-term flood in Sylhet, Sunamganj districts
A short-term flood may hit the low-lying areas of Sylhet and Sunamganj districts as major rivers in the region may swell further due to heavy rainfall in the North-Eastern region and adjoining upstream, UNB reported, citing Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre predictions on Monday.
The Brahmaputra-Jamuna and the Ganges-Padma rivers are maintaining a trend of rising water level at different places, which may continue in next 72 hours, the flood warning centre said.
Due to heavy rainfall in the country's North-Eastern region and adjoining upstream, all major rivers of this region are rising rapidly.
"According to the weather forecasting agency, there is a possibility of heavy to very-heavy rainfall in the North-Eastern and adjoining upstream regions of the country in the next 24 hours. Due to heavy rainfall forecast in the Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar basins and adjoining upstream region in the next 24 hours, these rivers may swell rapidly at times," said the morning bulletin of FFWC.
As a result, the major rivers of this region including Surma, Kushiyara, Sarigowain, Jhalukhali, Bhugai-Kangsha, Someswari and Jadukata may rise rapidly.
The Teesta River at Dalia point may cross the danger level in the next 24 hours, it predicted.
Meanwhile, flood situation in bordering Assam state of India worsened on Sunday as incessant rains inundated new areas in the state, reports Indian media.
The Surma River was flowing 54 cm above its danger level at Chhatak point while it was flowing 75 cm below the red level at Shologhor point in Sunamganj district Monday noon, UNB reports.
According to the Sunamganj Water Development Board, the water level of all major rivers in the district are in rising trend due to heavy showers in Cherapunji of India.
The Shaktierkhola main road in Bishambharpur upazila was submerged due to flood.
Executive Engineer of Sunamganj Water Development Board Md Mamun Hawladar said the Surma River was flowing 75 cm below the danger mark in Sunamganj in the past 24 hours and the Indian authorities recorded 26mm of rainfall in Cherapunji in the past 24 hours.
Deputy Commissioner Didar Alam Mohammad Maksud Chwodhury said the shelter centres have to keep prepared to tackle the flood.
