Flood water increasing in Juri, missing one

Michael Nongrum, Juri (Moulvibazar)

Rono Rikmun, 40, a worker of Dhamai Tea Garden in juri upazila of Moulvibazar went missing on Wednesday night after drowning in flood waters. Upon receiving the news, Kulaura Fire Service personnel conducted a rescue operation on Thursday morning.

They failed to rescue and informed the diving team in Sylhet. The diving team came to the rescue at around 3 pm. The rescue operation was going on till this report was written.

According to the locals, Rono Rikmun was returning home after buying some necessities from a local shop around 9 last night. But he did not get the boat and left on foot. At one point he drowned in front of the house.

After several days of heavy rains and rising water levels in the Indian state of Tripura upstream, the entire upazila is now flooded. Nearly one lakh people of the upazila have been inundated by the flood waters.

Meanwhile, the people of the entire upazila have been in darkness for the last few days as the power sub-station of the upazila was submerged in the flood waters. Flood-hit people are spending the night lighting candles as there is no electricity. On this occasion, some unscrupulous traders have increased the price of candles in the hope of making more profit. However, the upazila administration has launched a campaign to prevent unscrupulous traders from manipulating the prices of daily necessities.

Due to the current flood situation, those who have boats or banana rafts are able to travel elsewhere, but those who do not have no limit. Due to the flood, almost all the roads in the upazila have been cut off. Even then, people are risking their lives by spending more money to travel to different places.

According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, 3,220 hectares of aus paddy in the upazila was washed away in the floods. Besides, the paddy seedbed and vegetable fields of the farmers have been destroyed by flooding.

The number of administrative shelters and relief supplies for the flood victims is inadequate.

Meanwhile, Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Mir Nahid Ahsan visited the flood-hit area on Saturday afternoon. He distributed relief among the flood victims after visiting Belagao village on the banks of Haor in Sadar Jaifarnagar Union.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sonia Sultana said people have become helpless due to the sudden rise in water. Besides, I have given instructions and requests to the heads of various political, cultural, social and educational institutions to provide shelter to the flood victims. Besides, we have informed the higher authorities of the concerned departments of the government about the overall cooperation of the flood victims.

Last Wednesday, the local MP Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Md. Shahab Uddin visited the flood-hit areas and distributed relief. In his speech, the minister said that no one should be left helpless and hungry due to the floods, he warned the leaders and workers of the party.