The Crime Desk: Due to continuous rains, lack of modern water drainage system, and flooding caused by encroachment of canals, the entire Noakhali people, including the district town, are going to witness severe floods. Already, almost all upazilas, including Noakhali municipality, are floating in water. Incessant rains for the last one week have caused waterlogging in Noakhali district town. Almost all the important roads of the city have been submerged; water is also entering the houses. Almost lakhs of people in the municipal area have suffered greatly.
On Tuesday (August 20), the area adjacent to the various offices of the district town of Maizdi was visited; the basement of the District Commissioner’s office, the office of the Superintendent of Police, the District Meteorological Office, the District Fisheries Office, Press Club, Red Crescent, BRDB, MATs, Electricity Office, and Sub-Registry Office were affected by waterlogging. Record Room, Shaheed Bhulu Stadium, Forest Department Bungalow, Noakhali Government College, Maizdi Government Technical School and College, and many important public and private offices. Meanwhile, various roads, including a part of the district’s main road, Town Hall Junction, Islamia Road, DC Road, Mahila College Road, Jailkhana Road, and Maijdi Bazar Road, are now under several feet of water. The working people are suffering because of this.
Locals say that the suffering of the city dwellers is due to the lack of an adequate drainage system, and the water drains are full. Many blame the indifference of the authorities. One of the first-class municipalities of the country. For a long time, the municipal authorities have not taken any effective measures to solve the waterlogging in this city. A few drains have been worked in Kalevadra, but they are of poor quality. It takes a long time for the water to go down through these drains in light rain. Apart from this, more than 26 thousand families of 13 unions of Noakhali Sadar Upazila have become watertight. Local fish farmers said that there were 25-27 fish projects in each union of the district. Almost all the projects have been submerged in this flood. In this week-long flood, 700 to 1000 people in Newajpur and Char Uria of Sadar Upazila are spending their days eating dry food due to the drowning of kitchens and stoves of many families. The employment of wage laborers and day laborers has stopped. Apart from this, cattle breeders, including cows and goats, are in trouble.
Locals said that the residents of the flooded area are suffering from a food shortage at the moment. Relief assistance has become necessary for them. Due to the lack of clean water, various waterborne diseases, including diarrhea, are increasing.
Meanwhile, Noakhali District Commissioner Dewan Mahbubur Rahman announced the closure of all educational institutions in the district through a circular. He said that a decision will be taken to start the institution once the water subsides.
He said that the flood-affected people are being inquired about all the time. Dry food is being distributed among them.
