Flood worries resurface as Sylhet rivers swell

Water levels of rivers in Sylhet are rising again, raising concerns about potential another round of flooding in the region after May and June.

Although water levels of all rivers except the Kushiyara in Fenchuganj had fallen below the danger level over the past week, the Surma River in Kanaighat surpassed the danger mark again on Monday morning. 

Water levels of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers were also on the rise at five other five monitoring points. 

Heavy rainfall occurred in Sylhet on Sunday night and Monday morning, with rain also reported in Cherrapunji. 

According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board's (BWDB) bulletin on Sunday morning, at 9am, the water level of the Surma in Kanaighat was 85cm above the danger level, while the Kushiyara was flowing 83cm above the danger mark at the Fenchuganj point.

Assistant Meteorologist Shah Sajib Hossain from the Sylhet met office told Dhaka Tribune that from 6am on Sunday to 9am on Monday, Sylhet logged over 104mm of rainfall over 27 hours. 

Of this, 39.6mm was in the first 24 hours until 6am and another 65mm in the three hours alone from 6am to 9am on Monday.

The met office said heavy rainfall was likely in various parts of Sylhet, as well as other divisional cities across the country, over the next 72 hours, advising the public to take necessary precautions.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported 313mm of rainfall in Cherrapunji from 9am on Sunday to 9am on Monday.

BWDB sources noted that Sylhet's flood situation had been improving. 

However, continuous rainfall in Sylhet and India over the past few days, combined with upstream water flow from India, had led to rising water levels in all the district's rivers since Sunday morning, continuing into Monday, they added.