Feni, May 7 -- Once the lifelines of Feni's landscape, at least 244 rivers and canals sprawling across its six upazilas are now fighting for survival.

Choked by years of encroachment and pollution, these natural arteries are vanishing fast, and with them, the district's resilience against waterlogging.

Come monsoon, the roads of Feni town mirror shallow rivers, turning daily life into a struggle.

The seamless network of streams that once spirited away rainwater has either been blocked or erased from the map altogether. Now, even a fleeting spell of rain is enough to inundate streets, immersing neighbourhoods in knee-deep water.

According to sources at the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), 56 canals in Sonagazi, 52 in Dagonbhu...