Scars exposed as flood water recedes

Severe flooding in eastern parts of the country has left much of Feni's Parshuram upazila underwater for the past three days. 

While water has receded from many roads and homes, major routes remain unusable. 

Many mud houses have collapsed, and floodwaters have carried away dead cattle and poultry, leaving a pervasive stench. Relief supplies are struggling to reach remote areas.

The flooding has impacted 11 districts, affecting 74 upazilas, 541 unions and over 56 lakh people. 

According to the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, 1,207,429 households are currently waterlogged. As of Sunday, the floods have claimed 27 lives: 10 in Cumilla, five in Noakhali, five in Chattogram, one in Feni, one in Khagrachhari, one in Brahmanbaria, one in Lakshmipur, and three in Cox's Bazar.

Residents in flood-affected areas are facing outbreaks of diarrhoea and skin infections. 

In Parshuram and Fulgazi upazilas, local BNP and Jamaat leaders have been distributing aid under party banners, while some wealthy individuals and voluntary organisations have also provided assistance. 

However, the distribution remains uneven, with better access to relief in areas with good transport links compared to remote regions.

In Amzadhat, a border union in Fulgazi upazila, the flood has severely damaged several villages. In the village of South Talbadia, the extent of the destruction is visible with collapsed houses and uprooted trees. 

Residents are returning to their homes from shelters, but the damage remains extensive.

Sabiya Khatun, a 65-year-old resident of South Talbadia, said that this was the first time in 40-45 years that her home had been inundated. She had to seek refuge in a nearby house, where they received food for two days but no aid. 

Local businessman support and some private and NGO assistance have reached the area, but official aid has yet to arrive.

Mohammad Jony, another local, mentioned that his mud house has collapsed and he has been staying in a shelter where locals have provided meals. He said the only aid he received was from a local engineer; no other relief has reached them.

Local volunteers, including students from Jahangirnagar University, have organised rescue operations and provided essentials like medicines and candles to affected areas. However, official aid has not yet reached many remote regions.

According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), the water level at the Cumilla point of the Gumti river is more than 5 cm above the danger level, while other rivers are below danger levels. 

The Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Surma-Kushiyara rivers are receding, and the Ganges-Padma River is stable. Light to moderate rain with occasional gusty winds is expected in many parts of Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, and moderate rainfall has been reported in Noakhali.