After Dhaka and Chattogram, Sylhet's name has been added to the list of flood affected cities. These three cities are among the major cities of Bangladesh. Three international airports are also located in these three cities. The dreary conditions of the three cities in the rains paint a grim picture of urban governance in the country.
How far we are behind in terms of urban management or urban governance can be felt just by looking at Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet. Cities are plagued by air pollution, unplanned construction, traffic jams and flooding. A little rain or a downpour sinks the city. Waist water accumulates on the road. Houses are also flooded with water. Many people died as drains and roads became blocked. Many were injured.
The situation in Sylhet is slightly different from Dhaka and Chattogram. Sylhet metropolis is surrounded by Haor. Moreover, due to its proximity to the border, Sylhet is the first to be hit by the torrential downpours and floods in Bangladesh. As there are numerous streams and rivers, the flow of water is expected to descend further towards the sea soon. In the past the flood waters of Sylhet receded very quickly. Now that's not happening. Sylhet city is drowning by water as the rivers are filled and encroached and the water is not able to go down due to various installations in various places of Haor, especially in the Kishoreganj area. Greater Sylhet including the metropolis is affected.
Frequent disasters caused by rains have become a regular menace in Sylhet. Lakhs of people in Sylhet metropolis and surrounding large towns are being overcome by one disaster after another. The city has experienced second round of floods within a month. In such a situation, lakhs of people in the city have become waterlogged. Due to flood, many could not offer sacrifice on the first day. They are hoping that the situation will be normal on the second day.
According to media reports, the lower part of Sylhet city has been submerged due to flood. Thousands of people are trapped in water in the city itself. Most of the suburbs of the city, Shibganj, Raynagar, Sobhanighat, Kalighat, Kamalgarh, Machimpur, Taltala, Kazirbazar, Madina Market, Akhalia are under water.
The dangerous situation does not end here. The Water Development Board said that the flood situation in Sylhet may take a permanent form this time. The organization says that the water of 3 rivers in Sylhet is flowing over the border at 3 points till 9 am on the day of Eid. Surma water is flowing 72 cm above the danger level at Kanaighat point, Kushiara water is 65 cm above the danger level at Fenchuganj point and Sari River water is flowing 19 cm above the danger level at Sarighat point. Apart from this, the water in all the rivers of Sylhet continues to rise. 1 lakh 42 thousand 185 people were affected by flood in Sadar, Dakshin Surma, Osmanynagar, Biswanath, Fenchuganj, Balaganj, Goainghat, Golapganj, Companyganj and Biyanibazar upazilas of Sylhet. 512 villages of these upazilas have been flooded. 538 shelters have been prepared in all upazilas of Sylhet. In some centers, people have started getting up since Saturday.
According to the Sylhet Meteorological Office, 173.6 millimeters of rain fell in Sylhet in 24 hours till 6 am on Monday (June 17). Later, from 6 am to 9 am, another 86 mm of rain fell. After 1 pm, the rainfall in the city subsided, but rain continued in various parts of the district. Surma in Sylhet's Kanaighat and Kushiara river in Fenchuganj have risen above the danger level. The stream is coming down from upstream. Along with this, thousands of Muslim musallis offered prayers in the historic Shahi Eidgah area of Sylhet as thunder and rain continued. However, in every Eid congregation, lakhs of Muslims are seen performing congregation together at the Eidgah. On this Eid, the musallis perform congregational prayers in their local mosques.
In addition to the joy of Eid turning into trouble due to water logging, the danger of flooding awaits in Sylhet and the northeastern part of the country. Greater Sylhet and nearby Netrakona, Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria districts are threatened with flooding. Apart from human suffering, it can also cause huge loss of crops and fisheries. It should be noted that Haor is the largest supply point for food grains and freshwater fish in the country. As a result, the agricultural economy of the country will face great pressure if the effects of Sylhet floods spread to the surrounding areas. That is why the Sylhet flood is a cause of concern not only for Sylhet but for the entire country.
It is not clear how city planners have taken steps to save Sylhet from floods. If it was clear, the city of Sylhet would not have been submerged by the rains and floods every year. Life in Sylhet with the misery of flooding and waterlogging seems to be becoming a common occurrence day by day. Just as the flooding of Dhaka and Chittagong has become an unremedied issue. If the natural protection system of the top ten major cities of the country is so fragile and fragile, then the issues of sustainable development will be questioned and the issues of protection of civil life and social security will also be challenged. As a result, urgent steps should be taken to get rid of this problem.
It is not enough to look at the local government institutions of Dhaka, Chittagong or Sylhet as a rescue initiative. Attention should also be paid to increasing the strength and capacity of these institutions. If necessary, national based plans and projects should be adopted for major cities. This will increase the quality of urban management or urban governance in Bangladesh and increase the ability to survive natural hazards and expand civil security.
The city must be saved from flooding. If necessary, the rivers should be dug and the water flow system should be increased to prevent flooding. In particular, the government must take a strict role regarding Sylhet and the Haors in the northeastern part of the country. If the haors are filled up, filled with garbage and waste, and if the flow of water is interrupted due to unplanned construction, floodwaters will accumulate in and around upstream Sylhet. Therefore, problems must be identified and eliminated through integrated planning.
Bangladesh has three international airports in three cities, and if normal life is disrupted by water logging, national development will also come to a standstill. Achieving the dream of a digital and smart Bangladesh and preparing for the fourth industrial revolution will also be difficult due to the distressed situation in major cities. The sooner the policy makers realize this fact, the sooner the problem will be solved and the public suffering will end.
Dr. Mahfuz Parvez: Associate Editor, Barta24.com; Chairman and Professor, Department of Political Science, Chittagong University and Executive Director, Chittagong Center for Regional Studies, Bangladesh (CCRSBD).