Will the flood water pass through the sky?

The recent floods and waterlogging are definitely endangering the life and livelihoods in the Chittagong region and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). But, perhaps, this situation is even more surprising than shocking for the people. Because this hilly region has never faced flood or water logging until recent years. 

No doubt that last week’s rainfall was unusual. From July 5 to July 10 morning, there was a total of 1,132 millimeter of rainfall in Chittagong district alone. However, the average rainfall in that district in July over the past 30 years was 811 millimeters.

That means that more rainfall has fallen in the first week of the month than the average rainfall that is supposed to occur throughout the whole of July. Heavy rainfall is not unusual in the hilly regions. Its intensity can sometimes exceed normal levels. But for this, floods and waterlogging are virtually impossible due to the nature of the terrain of this region.

Chittagong is not just a hilly region. The natural drainage system of rivers, canals and streams is spread like a net across the area. And the Bay of Bengal is spread out generously next to it. Geographically, there should be no risk of flooding and waterlogging when there are mountains, rivers and the sea all present.

The question is, what is the cause of flooding and waterlogging in Chittagong and the CHT despite all three natural drainage advantages? This disaster has been occurring in the region during the rainy seasons for the last three years since 2023. Especially when floods or water logging occur in steep hilly regions like Bandarban district, one needs not to be an expert to understand that the reason is man-made.

Since ancient times, the mountain rivers and streams that flow gently in the dry season become dangerous during the rainy season. The rivers of this region like the Muhuri, Feni, Karnaphuli, the Shankah, Matamuhuri, Maini, Chengi, Dolu, Bankkhali, Naf and all the other rivers of greater Chittagong region become dangerous during the monsoon. Not only the rivers, but also the small canals and mountain streams really flow just like lightning speed during the monsoon.

The people of the Karnaphuli basin are familiar with the terrible appearance of rivers, canals and streams during the monsoon. But they are not used to floods like the people of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river basins. Lack of flood experience like the plainland regions of the country, this flood has made their lives, livelihoods and property more endangered. This water is not rising gradually like the floods in the other plainland parts of Bangladesh; the strong currents of the rivers and streams are entering the townships, villages and destroying houses in an instant.

When such floods first appeared in the Chittagong and CHT region in 2023, I expressed my concern in an article that the main reason for this was probably the newly built Chittagong-Cox's Bazar railway track. The local people were saying that before the 103-kilometre railway track was built, there was never any difficulty in the water going down to the sea rolling down the steep hills in that region (Daily Samakal, August 11, 2023).

BUET Professor Dr Md Shamsul Haque also said at the time that railway facilities had been built on the drainage route. The railway had also crossed the land, obstructing the flow of water (Daily Samakal, August 10, 2023).

Assuring that, immediately after this season’s flood, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has given 10 instructions to deal with the situation. Number 10 of these instructions is that a plan has been taken to raise the 47 kilometers of the Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar railway track by five feet to reduce the risk of waterlogging in the future.

What does increasing the height of the railway line mean? It means increasing the height of the embankment. What will be the benefit for the hilly waters to go down to the sea?

During the 2023 floods, the project director said that the length of the bridges and culverts was determined considering the 100-year flood history of the region and was designed accordingly. At that time, I raised the question of whether the difference between floods and flash floods had been taken into account while designing. Now if the height of the railway is increased, the problem will not decrease rather increase. The flash flood from the hilly slopes will be trapped even more dangerously.

The main point is that the natural paths of the hill slopes have been and are being narrowed and blocked. This is not only because of the railway. The water paths have been narrowed by encroaching on and filling rivers, canals and wetlands from within the area.

For example, there are dozens of sluice gates built in various rivers and canals of the Chittagong region to prevent the entry of salt water from the sea into the locality and farmland during high tide. These are supposed to be open during floods and for rainwater drainage. But local influential people are closing them permanently for fish farming. Due to being closed for a long time, the drainage system has been damaged by silt. They cannot be opened or are not allowed to be opened even during the recent floods. As a result, the water is not able to drain away (Daily Star, July 11, 2026.)

The late American writer Toni Morrison believed that floods are just memories of the river’s childhood. If we take away the natural course of the river, the river moves away. Consequently, in memory, it returns again and again as a flood. That flood becomes devastating following the activities of the occupiers.

And, the National River Conservation Commission of Bangladesh itself said in 2024 that there were more than 11 thousand encroachers in the rivers, canals and wetlands in only three districts; Comilla, Feni and Noakhali.

Not only the people are in danger due to floods in the Chittagong region; the flood water itself is also in trouble. The occupiers have blocked the paths through which rain, flood, flashflood water used to flow to the sea over the hundreds of years. Now, in addition to rescuing the flood-affected people from danger, the troubled water must also be shown the way to flow to sea. Otherwise, the floods will continue to become devastating every year.

The question is, if we encroach rivers, canals and embankments and build structures, will the flood water pass through the sky?

Sheikh Rokon: Writer and River Researcher; Secretary General of Riverine People.

skrokon@gamil.com

The article was originally published in the online Bengali edition of The Daily Samakal and has been rewritten for the English version by Mohammed Humayun Kabir, Assistant News Editor