Floodwater was still rising in the 18-km-long area that saw rapid unplanned urbanisation despite being classified as flood plains.

Several lakh people in the area have been marooned with hundreds of them moving to high ground evacuating their submerged houses. The worst sufferers are poor people living in shanties.

Highly contaminated floodwater with sewage floating on inundated roads and inside houses is posing a serious threat to public health in the area.

At places in the densely populated Manda, men, women and children were seen wading through chest-deep water that looked black and was emitting foul smell.

The situation was similar in many other areas including Babor Khola, Tegir Bon, Gang Par, Shona Miar Tak, Jamair Tak, Madhya Para and Baro Para.

Drenched in floodwater, Shamsuddin 70 and his wife Joygun were seen waiting yesterday noon outside Manda Government Primary School and Haider Ali High School situated on the same premises. The elderly couple had to leave their house at Manda Jaullapara as water level rose fast Monday night and yesterday morning. They waded through waist-deep water and came to the three-storied school for shelter only to be asked by the gatekeeper to go away.

The courtyard of the schools also went under knee-deep water and students of the high school were still attending classes.

Headmaster of the primary school Mohammad Salauddin said they have already provided shelter to about 20 flood-hit families from Manda area. About 50 more families arrived soon at the school gate with their belongings for shelter.

Abdur Rashid, headmaster of the high school, was sitting in his room with Chairman of Manda Union Parishad (UP) Hasan Sayeed Tahen. "We have not yet given shelter to flood victims in our school but we shall have to do it soon," said the headmaster.

The UP chairman said he did not know that flood-hit people were denied shelter in the school and asked the school authorities to open up the gates for them. A number of families immediately started occupying various rooms.

"We received a letter from the district administration recently asking us to prepare for the flood, and we are ready for it. The school can accommodate about 10,000 people," he said.

There are about 2,00,000 flood victims in Manda area only, he mentioned.