Hill Voice, 23 August 2024, Dhaka: Flash flood submerged thousands of Indigenous people’s houses in Khagrachari, Rangamati and Moulvibazar. This information was disseminated in a press note of Kapaeeng Foundation on Friday (August 22).

Kapaeeng Foundation’s press note also said that for the last few days’ heavy rain, the country’s north-eastern and south-eastern regions are flooding and the rivers therein flowing above the danger level leading to a worsening flood situation in Khagrachari, Chattagram, Feni, Comilla, Noakhali, Rangamati, and Moulvibazar. According to the media report, a total of 43 upazilas of several districts have been affected by the flash flood, and about 1,89,663 families including Indigenous Peoples have been marooned.

Among these districts, Rangamati, Khagrachari and Moulvibazar are the Indigenous Peoples inhabited regions where Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Tanchangya, Santal, Khasi, Garo indigenous groups have been living. Dighinala, Panchhari, Ramgarh and Khagrachari sadar upazila in Khagrachari district, Baghaichari and Longadu of Rangamati district and Kamalganj upazila in Moulvibazar district are the most affected areas.

Roads have been submerged, disrupting road connectivity between Khagrachari and Dighinala, as well as Langadu and Baghaichari upazilas in Rangamati. A total of 99 shelter centers have been opened in this district.

It is reported that, continuous heavy rainfall since 19 August 2024 in Khagrachari District flooded many villages of the Khagrachari Sadar and Dighinala and Panchari Upazilas.

Wednesday (21 August), heavy rain caused the Chengi and Maini rivers in Khagrachari to overflow, which remains unchanged. Nearly 50 villages in Khagrachari Sadar, Dighinala, Kobakhali, and Merung unions were already submerged under the water, and the Dighinala-Longadu road is still underwater, cutting off road communication with Rangamati. Thousands of people in Kobakhali and Merung unions of Dighinala remain trapped. People in flood-affected areas now face a shortage of clean drinking water.

Meanwhile, in the 24 hours till 6:00am Thursday, 152 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in the district, according to the Khagrachari Weather Observation Centre. Khagrachari District administration informed about 9,000 people were stranded in the Sadar, Matiranga, and Dighinala Upazilas. Thousands of people in Kobakhali and Merung Unions of Dighinala remain trapped. People in flood-affected areas now face a shortage of clean drinking water.

Thursday in the morning, in addition to the already submerged areas, several roads in the Khagrachari Municipal area, including Khabangpujye, Upalipara, Collegepara, Narangkhiye, Shonirvor, Adalat Road, Masterpara, Milanpur, and Baitusharaf, were already submerged.

On the other hand, about half of a million people including Indigenous Khasi People trapped in water and 130 villages have been inundated by this flash flood in Kamalganj of Moulvibazar district. Various markets have been collapsed and vast Aman fields and vegetables planted by farmers have been submerged.