While the residents of the Haor region have been feeling the adverse impact of floods for the last couple of days, the situation in the country’s northern part got worse yesterday.
Officials said the worst affected districts are Kurigram, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Bogra, Jamalpur and Sirajganj in the Brahmaputra basin.
Water levels of major rivers marked a further rise at relatively lower rates during the period and were flowing above danger marks (DM) at 12 points inundating more areas and marooning hundreds of thousands of people.
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Officials of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said water levels of major rivers may continue to mark a rise in places in the next 24 hours due to monsoon rains and onrushing water from upstream.
The Dudhkumar, Dharla, Ghagot, Brahmaputra, Jamuna and Teesta rivers are unable to hold the onrush of water coming from the upstream, where dozens of people have been killed in the last few days due to floods, caused by excessive rains.
According to a bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center of BWDB, the recorded rainfalls during the last 24 hours ending at 9am yesterday were 289mm at Silchar, 253mm at Cherrapunji and 85mm at Aizawl points of the northwestern Indian states.
The flood situation in Kurigram, in particular, has worsened due to the swelling of major rivers caused by onrush of water from upstream and incessant rainfall, rendering over 200,000 people marooned and huge crop lands damaged. Many educational institutions have been shut down.
Jamuna water rising fast
Dhaka TribuneThe overall flood situation further deteriorated in Jamalpur as the water of the mighty river Jamuna continued to rise yesterday.
Deputy Director (In-charge) of the Department of Agriculture Extension Zakia Sultana said the flood water has threatened T-Aman seed bed, Aush, jute, vegetable and green chilli harvest.
Deputy Commissioner Shrabosti Roy said they were closely monitoring the situation.
A river embarkment in Kalihati Upazila in Tangail collapsed yesterday, leading to fresh flooding in 20 villages. Besides, a highway in Basail collapsed due to the strong current of flood water, making life difficult for people living in the area.
As a result, thousands of people have taken shelter on dykes and high roads. Local people said that water was flowing heavily on the highway for the past two days.
Balina, Andhirapara, Adajan, Kanchanpur and Kodaliapara areas are currently under flood water, local people said.
The water level of Jamuna River increased significantly above the danger level, said Sirajul Islam, executive engineer of BWDB in Tangail. The people of the char region are in panic due to the recent flood situation across the country.
Thousands of acres of land including jute, paddy, sesame, almond and other crops have been submerged at the same time.
Heavy rains inundate Rangamati lowlands
This File Photo Shows Landslide Triggered By Heavy Rainfall In Kaptai Upazila Of Rangamati Dhaka TribuneIn the remote Baghaichhari Upazila of Rangamati, several low-lying areas have been inundated due to continuous heavy rains and plummeting hill slopes.
Yesterday morning, the water of the Kachalong river in Rangamati’s Baghaichhari flowed above the danger line, submerging about 10 Baghaichhari municipality areas including Baghaihat, Amtali, Rupkari and Bangaltali Union of Sajek.
Baghaichhari UNO Shariful Islam said that due to heavy rains for several days, the water level of the Kachalong River has risen and several areas of Baghaichhari have been flooded.
Therefore, the upazila administration has warned the locals living in the hills and requested them to move to a safe place or shelter. As many as 14 shelters of the upazila have been kept ready.
In Faridpur, several hundred farmers of char areas under Sadar Upazila have been affected due to the sudden rise of the Padma River.
They are concerned that the peanut crops being produced on over 5,000 hectares of land this year may go underwater.
District agriculture officials said some of the farmers could not harvest their crops in time and were affected by the flood water.