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Relentless heavy rain and flash floods from upstream hill streams have inundated village after village across several upazilas of Chattogram, leaving around 450,000 people stranded.
The flood situation has become severe in the southern Chattogram upazilas of Satkania, Lohagara, Chandanaish and Banshkhali.
In many areas, floodwaters ranging from waist- to neck-deep have submerged homes, croplands, fish enclosures, educational institutions and key roads.
Household belongings, rice, paddy and livestock feed have been washed away. Power and communication disruptions have triggered a humanitarian crisis in many localities.
According to the district administration, at least 450,000 people have been marooned by the devastating hill runoff and waterlogging. Five people have so far died in landslides and flood-related incidents.
A total of 629 emergency shelters have been opened for the affected residents.
Satkania Upazila is the worst-hit area. Continuous rainfall and hill runoff have inundated around 70 to 80 percent of the upazila, including all 17 unions and its lone municipality.
A breach in the embankment along the Dolu Canal has left vast areas under water. More than 200,000 people are living in extremely difficult conditions after being stranded by the floods.
River water levels are rising hour by hour, flooding new areas and worsening the situation.
Homes, shops, farmland and rural roads in low-lying areas have gone under water.
As floodwater has entered kitchens, many families have been unable to cook for several days.
Some are surviving on dry food, while others are preparing meals after taking shelter at neighbours’ homes located on higher ground.
The submergence of tube wells has created an acute shortage of safe drinking water.
Many families are staying awake at night to guard against snakes and other venomous animals that have entered flooded homes.
Five unions in Lohagara Upazila have also been affected, with Amirabad Union suffering the worst damage. Continuous rain and hill runoff have submerged many areas, leaving numerous residents confined to their homes.
Although the upazila administration has opened 12 shelters, many people remain unwilling to leave their homes. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Bayezid Bin Akhand told Sarabangla, “Ninety people have been rescued from Amirabad and taken to shelters. Administrative teams are working to rescue marooned residents in Padua Union.”
The flood has also taken a devastating turn in Banshkhali. Most of the 212 villages across the upazila’s 15 unions are under water, disrupting the normal lives of nearly 500,000 people. Residents had