Heavy rain paralyses life in Rangamati

Thousands of people have been marooned in their homes as torrential rain and flash floods over the past several days have inundated vast areas of Rangamati district, severely disrupting normal life.

Low-lying areas of Bagaichhari, Longadu, Barkal and Bilaichhari upazilas have been worst affected by the prolonged rainfall.

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief M. Iqbal Hossain is scheduled to visit the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and Cox's Bazar on a two-day tour beginning today (11 July). 

After visiting the disaster-hit areas of Khagrachhari in the morning, he is expected to arrive in Rangamati in the evening. He will inspect the flood-affected areas of Rangamati on Sunday before travelling to Bandarban and Cox's Bazar.

Continuous rainfall, coupled with hill torrents, has triggered widespread waterlogging across the district, inundating homes, cropland, educational institutions, roads and highways and bringing normal life to a standstill.

Residents of Bhushanchara, Barakuradia, Arabunia, Kalabunia, Bamland and Kukichhara areas in Barkal upazila have been forced to leave their homes and take shelter in safer places. Many others remain stranded in their houses as floodwaters continue to rise.

Several sections of rural walking trails have been damaged, forcing the suspension of motorcycle services in many remote areas.

The disaster has hit low-income families particularly hard, with shortages of food and safe drinking water already emerging. Water transport has also been disrupted, leaving many residents unable to travel even in emergencies.

Floodwaters have entered houses, making it impossible for many families to cook.

"We are suffering badly with our little children as water has entered our house and we cannot cook," said Maina Begum, a resident of Bhushanchara union in Barkal upazila.

Abdus Salam, a member of Ward No. 8 of Bhushanchara union, urged the government to increase relief assistance, saying the affected people are enduring severe hardship.

Barkal Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rajib Das Purkayastha said the administration had taken all necessary measures to deal with the situation.

He said 19 shelter centres have been prepared in the upazila, while medical teams have been formed in every union and ward. Dry food and other relief materials have already been distributed to many affected areas.

Meanwhile, incessant rainfall and hill torrents have swollen local rivers, while traffic on the Bagaichhari-Dighinala road has remained completely suspended due to a three-kilometre stretch of landslides.

Deputy Commissioner of Rangamati Nazma Ashrafi said the government was continuing relief operations while preparing additional flood shelters in remote areas of the affected upazilas.

She said that, as of yesterday (10 July), around 3,524 people had taken refuge in 40 flood shelter centres across the district.

All primary schools in the district have been closed and kept ready to serve as emergency shelters, she added.

The district administration is providing three meals a day at the shelter centres and evacuating residents from vulnerable hillside locations to safer places amid the growing risk of landslides.