Khagrachari, Aug 22 (V7N) - Khagrachari is facing a severe flooding crisis once more due to relentless rainfall and hill torrents. The region has experienced record-breaking rainfall, causing widespread flooding from the city to the surrounding villages.
 
Although the city had previously avoided major flooding, recent heavy rains since Thursday morning have breached its defenses, leading to floodwaters entering urban areas. Streets including Shahid Kader Road, Rukhoi Chowdhury Para, Adalat Road, Master Para, Muslim Para, and Milanpur are now submerged, affecting much of the district town.
 
Families who had recently returned to their homes from shelters due to a temporary drop in water levels are now facing renewed flooding as water levels rise again since early Thursday.
 
The overflow of the Moini River due to hill torrents has inundated 50 villages in Dighinala’s Merung, Boalkhali, and Kabakhali unions. Roads, agricultural fields, and ponds are submerged, leading to severe shortages of food and clean drinking water.
 
The 203rd Infantry Brigade’s Khagrachari Region Commander, Brigadier General Sharif Mohammad Aman Hasan, is actively visiting shelters and assisting in evacuating those stranded to safety.
 
Persistent rainfall over the past week and rising river levels have resulted in the complete submersion of areas such as Ganjpara, Aparna Chowdhury Para, Rajyamoni Para, Kaladeba, Botatli, Football, Shantipur, and Muslim Para in the municipal area. Approximately 3,000 families in Khagrachari town have been displaced, with many seeking refuge in shelters.
 
Since Tuesday afternoon, parts of the Sajek Road, including Kabakhali, Baghaihat Bazar, and Machalong Bazar, have been submerged under 5 to 6 feet of water, halting all transportation and leaving about 250 tourists stranded in Sajek.
 
Additionally, flooding on the Dighinala-Longadu Road has severed the connection with Rangamati and the rest of the country, with Merung Bazar also submerged.
 
Ghanashyam Tripura, the panel chairman of Merung Union, reported that worsening flood conditions have led to rising water levels in the Moini River, inundating additional areas. The primary school serving as a shelter in Merung Bazar is partially submerged, forcing 29 families to relocate to the building's upper floor.
 
Abdur Rahim, the acting officer at the Khagrachari Weather Observation Center, noted 152 millimeters of rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours.
 
District BNP leaders have been distributing hot meals to flood-affected individuals for the past three days. Meanwhile, rising waters in the Feni River have flooded Ramgarh municipality and nearby low-lying areas, displacing over a thousand people who have moved to shelters.
 
District Commissioner Md. Soiduzzaman reported that 99 shelters, including 18 in Khagrachari municipality, remain open, with provisions of dry food available for those affected.
 
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