Heavy rain and upstream water raise flood fears in Feni

Local Correspondent

In the last 24 hours, 233 millimeters of rainfall have been recorded in Feni. This is the highest rainfall recorded in the district during the current season.

On the morning of July 8, Tuesday, Md. Mojibur Rahman, the acting officer of the district meteorological office, confirmed this information.

This has caused waterlogging in the city and surrounding areas. People from all walks of life are suffering immensely.

It has been learned that continuous rain has led to severe waterlogging in various areas of Feni city, including Shaheed Shahidullah Kaiser Road, the old registry office, Rampur, Pathanbari, Academy, Nazir Road, Banani Para, Doctor Para, Shahabadpur, and Petrobangla. From the morning, road traffic was disrupted, causing extreme inconvenience to city dwellers.

Students appearing for their final year degree exams at Feni Government College center faced severe difficulties. Many entered the exam hall drenched, while some could not arrive on time.

Abdur Rahim, a resident of Pathanbari area, stated that most of the houses’ ground floors, roads, and fields in Pathanbari Road area are submerged. He blamed the municipality for canal encroachment and poor drainage systems.

On the other hand, heavy rain overnight caused the embankment of the Muhuri River to collapse on the Shreepur Road in Feni’s Fulgazi upazila, leading to several shops being destroyed. Currently, vehicular movement on the Nilakshi-Gabtala road has been suspended.

Md. Abul Kashem, the sub-divisional engineer of Feni Water Development Board, said the water level of the Muhuri River is still flowing below the danger mark.

He added that if heavy rain continues upstream, the river’s water level will rise further.

Md. Mojibur Rahman, the acting officer of Feni Meteorological Office, said moderate to heavy rainfall has continued unabated in Feni for the past two days. The highest rainfall recorded in 24 hours until 9 am on Tuesday was 233 millimeters, the highest this season.

He mentioned that rain is likely to continue across the district for the next 2-3 days.