Heavy Rains Cause Landslides, Flooding, and Hardship in Chittagong Hill Tracts

Five consecutive days of heavy rainfall have triggered widespread hardship across various regions of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Landslides have blocked crucial road networks, while flash floods have submerged other roadways, disrupting transportation. Residents are facing a severe shortage of clean drinking water, leading to long queues at shelters. Many families are spending their days in fear, living at the foot of unstable hillsides. The situation highlights a struggle against natural elements, with landslides and floods creating immense challenges for the local population. In Rangamati, a landslide on the Rangamati-Chittagong road in the Dheppochhori Mukh area of Sadar Upazila caused a one-hour traffic standstill on July 9th, leaving over a hundred vehicles stranded. Similarly, the Bandarban-Rangamati road experienced significant disruptions due to waterlogging in multiple locations. In Khagrachhari's Dighinala Upazila, residents resorted to using carts to navigate flooded roads. The crisis has also led to a scarcity of potable water, with people lining up at shelters to collect water from municipal tankers. Homes in areas like Kosaipara in Bandarban are at risk of collapse due to soil erosion from the hills, causing residents to live in constant fear of further landslides. In a dramatic rescue, fire service personnel carried a woman in labor through floodwaters to an ambulance in Lohagara.