The water levels of rivers in the northern and northeastern regions may rise in the next 48 hours rapidly due to heavy rainfall, according to the latest flood forecast.
All major rivers in the northeastern region and the Brahmaputra River basin were in a falling trend on Friday, but the Ganges-Padma was rising which “may continue in the next 48 hours,” the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) said in a bulletin.
“There is a chance of heavy rainfall at some places of the northern and northeastern region of the country along with adjoining upstream areas of India in the next 72 hours.
“As a result, the Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers in the northern region and the major rivers in the northeastern region (Surma, Kushiyara, Jadukata, Sarigowain, Someswari and Bhugai-Kangsha) may rise rapidly at times at some points in the next 72 hours,” the FFWC said.
It added that the Teesta River may rise and cross its danger level at Dalia Point in Nilphamari in the next 24 hours.
Since April, Bangladesh has experienced one of the worst floods in history with millions of people marooned for weeks and vast croplands submerged, mainly in the northeastern districts of Sunamganj, Sylhet and Netrokona.
According to the government’s estimate, flood damage amounted to over Tk86,000 crore. The floods battered embankments, bridges and culverts, paved roads, brick-built roads, unpaved roads, schools, colleges, madrasas, community schools, mosques and temples.
Death toll rises to 134
Three more people died due to floods across the country in the last 24 hours till yesterday morning.
With this, the number of reported fatalities since May 17 rose to 134, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), UNB reported.
Of the deceased, 74 were from Sylhet, 43 from Mymensingh, 16 from Rangpur and one from Dhaka divisions.
Among them, 106 people drowned in the floodwaters, 16 died in lightning strikes, two from snake bites, one from diarrhoea, and nine others due to other reasons.