Landslides cut off road access to Sajek Valley following heavy rainfall in Dighinala
Photo Collected
DIGHINALA, Khagrachhari — Road connectivity between Khagrachhari and the popular tourist destination of Sajek Valley remained severed on Saturday following multiple landslides triggered by torrential rainfall.
The landslides occurred at two points on the Khagrachhari-Dighinala road, blocking the primary access route to Sajek Valley. Officials from the Roads and Highways Department confirmed that the slides at the 5-mile and 9-mile markers have halted all vehicular movement. Executive Engineer Soumya Talukdar stated that while the damage is significant, crews have been dispatched to clear the debris, though the restoration of traffic flow may take several hours.
The disruption follows an unprecedented burst of heavy rainfall recorded overnight. According to the Dighinala Meteorological Observatory, 103 millimeters of rain fell within a three-hour window between midnight and 3:00 a.m. on Friday. Subhudi Chakma, a meteorological technician at the station, noted that this intensity of rainfall in such a short duration is the highest recorded this season.
The heavy downpour caused widespread flooding in the low-lying areas of Merung, Kabakhali, Hamtali, and Beyolkhali. Local residents reported that floodwaters breached homes and submerged vast tracts of Aman paddy fields. Furthermore, water began flowing directly over the Dighinala-Merung road, isolating several communities and causing significant distress to the local population.
Residents expressed shock at the rapid onset of the flooding. Anwar Hossain, a local resident from the Jamtali area, reported waking up to find his home inundated, noting that the water levels exceeded those experienced during the floods earlier last month. Another resident, Onlendu Tripura, described the situation as an anomaly, stating that water levels in local mountain streams had remained stable until the sudden deluge overnight.
Local administration officials are currently assessing the extent of the damage to infrastructure and agricultural lands as recovery efforts continue across the affected regions.
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