Hundreds of residents in the low-lying char areas of Cumilla are facing severe waterlogging as the district has been drenched with 274 millimeters of rainfall over the past three days.
On Wednesday morning alone, 56 millimeters of rain were recorded by 6 am, and with more heavy rainfall forecasted in the next 24 hours, concerns are mounting over the potential for widespread flooding.
The Gomti River, which originates from India’s Tripura state, has swollen significantly due to heavy rainfall in its source region. The rising water levels have already inundated riverbanks in Cumilla, flooding hundreds of homes and leaving thousands of residents in distress.
The water level of the Gomti is now nearing the danger mark, with authorities warning that it could exceed this level at any moment, posing a serious risk to the area.
Officials are particularly worried about the 85-kilometer-long Gomti embankment, which stretches from Kotokbazar to Daudkandi in Cumilla Sadar upazila. The embankment is under threat of collapse due to the surging waters.
In addition to the threat of flooding, heavy rains have caused severe waterlogging in many areas of Cumilla city, submerging and damaging approximately 4,000 acres of vegetable crops along the riverbanks.
Khan Mohammad Waliuzzaman, Executive Engineer of the Cumilla Water Development Board, said that efforts are underway to reinforce vulnerable spots along the riverbanks to prevent further collapse.
“This is the highest volume of water we’ve seen from upstream in the Gomti in the past 15 years,” Waliuzzaman noted, highlighting the unprecedented nature of the current situation.
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