A flood situation is prevailing in the Brahmaputra basin as major rivers crossed danger marks at three points following monsoon rains and onrush of water from the upper catchment.
Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said water levels of the major rivers and tributaries may continue to rise during the next few days in the Brahmaputra basin, reports BSS.
“The Teesta was flowing 20cm above the danger mark at Dalia point in Nilphamari, Dharla by 13cm above the danger mark at Kurigram point and the Brahmaputra by 9cm above the danger mark at Chilmari point in Kurigram,” he said.
The Brahmaputra was flowing only 3cm below its danger mark at Noonkhawa point in Kurigram district while the other rivers were flowing below their respective danger marks at different points.
“We have taken early preparation to face any situation during floods in all eight districts of Rangpur division,” Ghosh said, adding that no incident of breaching of flood control embankments and devices was reported from anywhere in the zone.
To conduct repairing works and management of flood control embankments on an emergency basis when needed, all 12 divisions of three circles of BWBD’s Rangpur zone are continuing to procure 10,000 to 15,000 sandbags.
“We have completed repair works of flood control structures at several points on the right bank of the Teesta in Rangpur and by the sides of other major rivers in Kurigram and Gaibandha for the seasonal flood this year,” Ghosh said.
Besides, monitoring of flood situation and embankments continues round the clock and adequate preparations have been taken to face any situation in the district like elsewhere in Rangpur zone, he added.
Executive engineer of the Teesta Barrage division of BWDB Md Rabiul Islam said all 44 gates of the Teesta Barrage Project remain open at Dalia point in Nilphamari where the river was flowing 20cm above its danger mark.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) of BWDB at Dhaka, the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river may continue to rise during the next 10 days.
The water levels of the Brahmaputra and Jamuna may cross the danger marks at different points of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra and Sirajganj resulting in short-medium duration flooding in the low lying areas for 5 to 7 days.
According to BWDB officials, the Teesta was flowing 38cm below its danger mark at Kawnia in Rangpur and Ghaghot by 42cm below its danger mark at Gaibandha points.
The Jamuna was flowing 11cm below its danger mark at Fulchhari point, 26cm below its danger mark at Bahadurabad in Jamalpur, 39cm below its danger mark at Sariakandi in Bogra, 36cm below its danger mark at Kazipur and 43cm below its danger mark at Sirajganj point.