Millions cut off without food, power

Millions of people were still left without electricity and any means of communication, and relief materials had not reached many remote areas where families were stranded in flooded villages for days.
Even the shelters opened by the government in the affected districts have become overcrowded.
The situation was particularly dire in Feni, Noakhali and Cumilla where relief materials had not reached many remote areas.
Five upazilas of Feni still remained inaccessible by road yesterday even as the waters were receding.
Family members could not reach each other over the phone as almost every cell phone tower in the district went out of order.
Locals said there were severe crises of drinking water and food in many areas of the district.
“Our hut was submerged. We only had time to go to the roof of a neighbour’s house. The water gushed in very fast. The walls of the corrugated iron sheet of our hut fell apart within a short time. Soon, the water was as high as the tin roof of our house,” said 45-year-old Aleya Begum, a resident of Khopal area of Chhagalnaiya upazila.

She and her 70-year-old mother-in-law Saleha Begum had spent three days on the roof of their neighbour’s one-storey building.
Saleha said, “I have never fought such a battle with water. I thought I wouldn’t survive. I thought I was dying. We couldn’t contact anyone. My husband and sons were away. They could not return home. We survived only on some dry food and some drinking water.”
Three people drowned yesterday, taking the toll from the floods to 18.
According to a statement from the chief adviser’s office, almost 9.8 lakh people were marooned in 11 districts. They were in desperate need of drinking water, saline, and dry food.
About 50.94 lakh people in 77 upazilas of 12 districts were affected by the floods so far.
At least 3,513 shelters have been opened for people. More than 3 lakh people took shelter there.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, Cumilla, Noakhali, Brahmanbaria, Laxmipur, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Chattogram, and Cox’s Bazar saw a decline in the rain and the stream of water from upstream.
The water levels dropped below the danger level at five stations — Habiganj (the Khowai river), Monu Railway Bridge (the Manu river), Debidwar (the Gumti river), Narayanhat (the Halda river), and Panchpukuria (the Halda river).
The water was still above the danger level at: Amarshid (the Kushiyara river), Sheola (the Kushiyara), Sherpur-Sylhet (the Kushiyara), Markuli (the Kushiyara), Moulvibazar (the Manu), Balla (the Khowai), and Cumilla (the Gumti).
Weather agencies indicate that there is no likelihood of heavy rain in the northeastern part of the country or the upstream areas today, suggesting further improvement in the flood situation in the low-lying areas of Moulvibazar and Habiganj near the Manu, Khowai, and Dholai rivers.