Nonstop rise in water level has submerged many villages, left thousands of people marooned, and destroyed arable lands in a number of districts across the country.
The flood situation remained unchanged in some areas while getting worse in other places. Relief goods were also distributed in a number of areas.
Kurigram
Although water in Kurigram rivers has receded a bit, the Brahmaputra is still flowing above the danger level, compounding the woes of the flood victims.
The victims, who remain marooned for 16 days, are facing a serious shortage of food and pure drinking water amid the outbreak of many waterborne diseases.
Relief goods were distributed by the local authorities but the majority of the victims are yet to receive any. They are living on boats, bamboo-made raised platforms and rafts made of banana trees. Some have taken shelter in flood protection embankments and educational institutions.
Meanwhile, bus communication of Dhaka with Rajipur and Raumari upazials came to a halt when a 100ft road in Shiberdangi area was heavily damaged.
Local Water Development Board officials said the Brahmaputra is still flowing 1cm above the danger level at Chilmari point.
Jamalpur
The overall flood situation in Jamalpur remained static but the Jamuna was flowing 30cm above the danger level at Bahadurabad point yesterday morning.
Although water receded, almost 2.5 lakh people in seven upazilas still remain marooned. They are suffering from an acute shortage of food, with many losing their jobs.
Waterborne diseases are also spreading.
Deputy Director of Jamalpur Agriculture Extension Department Md Abul Quasem said nearly 34,000 hectares of land in the district have gone under water, subjecting 2,30,000 farmers to losses.
“The affected farmers will be provided with assistance under the agriculture rehabilitation programme to help them recover the losses they faced,” he added.
District Fisheries Officer Ranjit Kumar Paul said nearly 2,500 ponds in the district were completely submerged by floodwater but the extent of loss is yet to be calculated.
Jamalpur Deputy Commissioner Md Shahabuddin Khan said 202 tonnes of rice and dry food worth Tk15.50 lakh have so far been distributed among the flood victims.
Munshiganj
A 1cm rise in water in the Padma at Bhagyakul point exacerbated the flood situation in Munshiganj, inundating dozens of new areas, including Kamarkhara, Panchgaon, Chitracoat, Kalma, Kumarbhogh and Banglabazar.
The Padma flowed 26cm above the danger level yesterday morning. Arable lands have been inundated and several thousand people in 100 villages remain marooned.
Sixty-seven medical teams are working in the flood-hit areas, which saw the outbreak of a number of diseases.
According to government statistics, the Padma completely destroyed the houses of 49 families while partially damaging abodes of another 823 families.
32 tonnes of rice and Tk2.30 lakh were allocated for the flood-affected people.
The flood did not quite affect academic affairs at the educational institutions except Kamarkhara Barail Government Primary School in Tongibari upazila. The school authorities said they would adopt alternative measures to ensure that classes are not hampered.
Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner Md Saiful Hasan Badol said the local administration is doing its best to mitigate the misery of the flood victims.
Civil surgeon of Munshiganj Dr Kazi Shariful Alam said a medical team has been formed in each union and the team members are supplying necessary medicines to the people.
“We have also adequate stock of medicines for waterborne diseases and everything is now under control,” he added.
Gaibandha
Water levels in all the rivers in the district fell yesterday, improving the overall flood situation.
The Brahmaputra, the Teesta and the Korotoa yesterday flowed 17cm, 12cm and 15cm below the danger level respectively, said local Water Development Board officials.
The flood-hit people, however, are badly suffering as their lives have become plagued by shortage of food, fuel and drinking water.
Extensive erosion of the Brahmaputra and the Jamuna in Haldia, Erendabari and Fazlupur has destroyed more than 600 homes. The affected families have moved to shelters and high lands but now await relief materials.
Meanwhile, Rangpur Divisional Commissioner Md Delwar Bakth visited the flood-hit areas in Haldia union under Saghata upazila yesterday.
He said the government is making an all-out effort to distribute relief materials among the distressed people, adding that rehabilitation measures would be taken to help the victims recover the losses.
Meanwhile, five shops and a 25sqft area of Mawa launch terminal in Munshiganj were eroded by Padma yesterday but launch communication was not disrupted.
The incident happened around 2pm, said Mawa naval outpost in-charge Khandakar Khalid Hossain.
“The Padma is flowing 26cm above the danger level. The high tide and onrush of hill-water caused the erosion,” he said.
Earlier on the night of August 19, number 3 ro-ro ferry terminal at Mawa was entirely eroded away.