Photo: Collected
People in Sylhet have begun returning to their homes from prolonged stays at shelter centres, as reduced rainfall in the last couple of days allowed the flood situation to improve across large swathes of the division.
The water levels in the affected upazilas have started to recede as the torrents have eased.
However, water levels at several points of Sylhet's rivers are still flowing above the danger level, leaving many residents waterlogged.
The Surma river has inundated low-lying areas of Sylhet city causing suffering of residents in Subhanighat, Jatorpur, Mendibagh, Kazirbazar, Machimpur and Taltola.
Sajlu Laskar, Public Relations Officer of Sylhet City Corporation, said quoting local ward councilors that around 4,000 families in the city have been affected by the flood but adequate dry food supplies were sent for these families.
According to the Water Development Board (WDB) in Sylhet, as of 12pm on Saturday (1 June), the water level of the Surma River at the Kanaighat point was 83 cm above the danger level and in Sylhet 7 cm above.
Meanwhile, the water level of the Kushiyara River at the Amalsid point was 192 cm above the danger level, and at Sheola it was 8 cm above.
Although the water level of the Surma at Kanaighat and two points of the Kushiyara decreased by 1-3 cm between 6am and 9am, the Surma in Sylhet remains unchanged.
The WDB has forecast that if there is no further heavy rainfall or mountain runoff, the flood situation could normalise within the next 3-5 days, said Deepak Ranjan Das, executive engineer of the WDB in Sylhet.
Shah Mohammad Sajib Hossain, assistant meteorologist at the Sylhet Weather Office, said Sylhet experienced 7.3 millimeters of rainfall in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the receding water levels in the most affected areas of Gowainghat, Companiganj, Kanaighat and Zakiganj have begun to reveal the extent of the damage.
As the water level dropped in rural areas, the signs of destruction are becoming visible. The floodwaters have severely damaged rural roads and caused significant losses to agriculture in the affected areas.
The situation in two other upazilas, Beanibazar and Golapganj, has improved.
On Saturday, Sylhet district administration said the number of flood-affected individuals was 6.43 lakh on Friday, which decreased to around 6.9 lakh on Saturday (1 June).
Among the nearly 5,000 people who had taken shelter in shelter centers, 1,500 have already returned home.
The rainfall began in the district in the early hours of Monday (May 27) due to the impact of Cyclone Remal, which made landfall late on Sunday. It continued between intermittent moderate showers and light drizzles, accompanied by gusty winds.
Two days later, on Wednesday (May 29), heavy rains and sudden mountain runoff caused flooding in seven upazilas of Sylhet.
The low-lying areas of the city near the Surma River, along with several suburban areas, experienced waterlogging.
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