Rising water levels in three rivers in Feni fuelled by heavy rainfall and upstream hill runoff from India's Tripura state have heightened fears of flood among thousands of people in riverside areas.
Residents of Parshuram, Fulgazi and Chhagalnaiya upazilas spent a sleepless night watching vulnerable embankments, fearing that any breach could inundate their homes as has happened repeatedly in previous years.
According to the Feni District Weather Office, the district recorded 56 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours until today (9 July) 9am.
District Weather Officer Mujibur Rahman said rainfall influenced by the active monsoon is likely to continue for the next few days.
The situation has been worsened by upstream water flowing down from Tripura.
Data from the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) showed that the water level of the Muhuri River at the Parshuram point rose to 10.66 metres at 9am today (9 July) from 10.40 metres at midnight, an increase of 0.26 metres within seven hours.
Although the river is still below its danger level of 12.55 metres, officials said the rapid rise in water levels has increased concern among local residents.
People living along the Muhuri, Kahua and Silonia rivers said embankment breaches during the monsoon have become a recurring problem, often causing extensive damage to homes, cropland, fish enclosures and livestock.
"We are most afraid during the night. We cannot sleep because we fear the embankment may collapse at any moment and flood our homes," said Sahab Uddin, a resident of Fulgazi.
In response to the growing risk, the district administration has stepped up preparedness
An emergency meeting of the District Disaster Management Committee was held at the deputy commissioner's conference room on Tuesday to review the situation and prepare response measures.
Deputy Commissioner Monira Haque said water levels in the district's rivers are rising due to heavy rainfall in Tripura and the administration is taking maximum advance preparations to tackle any possible emergency.
She said government officials, medical teams and volunteer organisations have been instructed to remain prepared while efforts are underway to clean cyclone shelters and stockpile dry food.
BWDB Executive Engineer Monirul Islam said officials are monitoring river water levels and embankments round the clock and keeping emergency repair teams ready for vulnerable points.
disaster / Flood
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