For four days, we haven't been able to cook

There is water everywhere, but no grain or water in the house. People can’t go to work. For four days, we haven’t been able to cook. We barely have anything to eat. No one comes to see us.

Jorina Begum of Shimultala Cluster Village in Companyganj, Sylhet, was wiping her tears as she said these words.

Jorina has been trapped in her house for the past four days due to the flood caused by continuous rain and mountain runoff. Her husband cannot go to work, so they can’t cook. She and her children are going hungry.

Like Jorina Begum’s family, 270 families in Shimultala Cluster Village, Companyganj, are in the same situation. The entire village is underwater. People, houses, and schools are submerged. There is no dry land to stand on.

The residents of Shimultala Cluster Village, Companyganj, Sylhet, have been trapped by water for the third time this season. About 1,500 people from 270 families are living in dire conditions.

Since May 27, for three consecutive times until June 17, the people of the cluster village have been flooded. Flood-affected people are unwilling to return from the shelters. There is no food or clean water. Overall, the residents of this village are in a state of disaster.

According to the latest flood data from the Relief and Disaster Management Office of Sylhet District Administration, the third flood has trapped hundreds of thousands of people in six unions of Companyganj. On the night of June 16, heavy rain and mountain runoff from India flooded 13 upazilas, including Companyganj, Gowainghat, Jaintiapur, Kanaighat, Zakiganj, Beanibazar, Golapganj, Fenchuganj, Balaganj, Osmaninagar, and extensive areas of Sylhet city.

The continuous rain over the past 3-4 days has submerged most of the city’s roads and areas. Water has entered houses, causing great suffering to the residents. The water overflowed from nine streams in Sylhet city, creating this waterlogging.

On the ground, it was seen that Laladighi Par in Ward No. 11 of the city is submerged, and dirty water is entering houses due to waterlogging.

In addition, roads and houses in various areas such as Upashahar, Jatarpur, Sabujbagh, Mashimpur, Mendibagh, and Chararpar are submerged. Many have not been able to cook and are continuously moving to higher ground with their belongings and family members

Ward No. 11 Councilor Abdur Rakib Bablu said that the heavy rainfall is causing delays in water drainage through the drains. The City Corporation's team is working on it. Whenever water is blocked due to garbage, it is being cleared.

Additionally, due to the low-lying nature of some colonies in Laladighir Par, even a small amount of rain causes water to accumulate, taking 4-5 days to recede. Already, 200-300 families in the Laladighir Par area are trapped indoors due to waterlogging. The city residents want a solution to this issue.

Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board, Dipak Ranjan Das, reported that on the evening of Wednesday, July 3rd, the Surma and Kushiyara rivers were flowing above the danger level at six points. In Kanaighat, the Surma was flowing 81 centimeters above the danger level, and in Amalshid, the Kushiyara was flowing 142 centimeters above the danger level. Out of 11 points in the rivers of Sylhet, water levels have decreased slightly at five points.

He also mentioned that rainfall in Sylhet and India's Cherrapunji has decreased over the past two days. Dipak Ranjan Das expressed hope that if there is no further rain, the flood situation will improve