The flood situation may improve further in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Brahmanbaria and Netrakona districts in the next 24 hours, while it may remain static in Manikganj, Munshiganj, Faridpur, Madaripur, Chandpur, Rajbari, Shariatpur and low-lying areas of Dhaka district.
But the overall flood situation is likely to worsen further in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Natore, Bogra, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Tangail and Naogaon districts in the next 24 hours, according to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) on Saturday.
The rise in the water level of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna may continue for the next 24 hours. The water levels in the major rivers of the northeastern Meghna Basin are declining and will continue to do so for the next 48 hours, it said.
According to Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of BWDB sources, the recorded rainfalls were only 36mm at Darjeeling point in West Bengal and 21mm at Silchar point in Assam in the upstream during the last 24 hours till 9 am on Saturday.
The major rivers were flowing above the danger mark (DM) at ten points in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra and Sirajganj districts at 9 am yesterday with the possibility of little deterioration during the next 24 hours in the basin.
Woman marooned in Kurigram flood wades through water. Photo taken on Saturday, July 26, 2020 | Dhaka Tribune
In Kurigram, around 400,000 people are currently marooned by the floods, according to sources in the district administration.
The district's fisheries officer Kalipad Roy said fishes worth Tk7 crore had been washed away.
Moreover, 40,000 tube wells have been submerged in water, according to sources from the district’s health department.
Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Ariful Islam said Dharla and Teesta were still flowing above the danger mark until 3pm on Saturday.
However, the water level in these rivers declined from what it was on Friday, according to the WDB engineer.
Geo bags are being dumped near the town protection dyke in Tangail. Photo taken on Saturday, July 25, 2020 | Dhaka Tribune
In Tangail, fresh char areas near the river banks have been flooded as all five rivers of the district were flowing above the danger line until Saturday.
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The Tangail town protection dam has fallen under fresh threat as a 250 metre area by the Pungli River had been broken at Shibpur Pachhbathoi area in Sadar upazila due to erosion.
Sirajul Islam, executive engineer at the Water Development Board in Tangai,l said: "The embankment is important in keeping the town safe from floodwaters. Already 12,000 geo-bags have been dumped in the damaged area."
In Bogra, fresh areas of Sariakandi, Shonatala, and Dhunot upazilas have been flooded as the Jamuna and Bangali rivers continued to flow above the danger mark until Saturday afternoon.
According to sources from the district's relief and rehabilitation office 128,715 people in the three upazilas have remained marooned. Moreover, crops on 9,500 hectares of land have sustained damage.
32 children drown in floodwaters
At least 32 children have drowned after accidentally falling into floodwaters in Kurigram, Jamalpur and Tangail during this season's flood until now.
In Kurigram, 20 people have died after accidentally falling into floodwaters and among them 16 are children, said Kurigram Civil Surgeon Dr Habibur Rahman.
In Jamalpur, local Union Parishad chairman and Upazila Nirbahi Officers confirmed the deaths of at least 11 children who died after accidentally falling into floodwaters, reports our Jamalpur correspondent Biswajit Deb.
In Tangail, at least six children were killed after falling into floodwaters, according to the local Union Parishad chairpersons.
Tk72 crore loss sustained by farmers in Natore
Farmers had to suffer losses of altogether Tk72 crore in paddy, vegetables and fish farming due to the month long flood, calculated the district's Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office.
Rabiah Noor Ahmed, an agriculture officer of the district, on Saturday said: "4,144 hectares of crop field was inundated and as water receded, we could calculate that 3,976 hectares among those sustained damage. If the rain continues, the water logging may cause further damage.
Firoz Ahmed, a fisheries officer in the district, said: "Fishes of 321 ponds have been washed away. The total area of these ponds is about 300 hectares. The total loss sustained by the fish farmers is calculated to Tk21 crore.”
Our correspondents Ariful Islam, Kurigram; Abdullah Al Numan, Tangail and Nazmul Huda Nasim, Bogra contributed to this report