Overall flood situation in the Ganges basin improved further on Sunday as the water level is declining constantly in most of the rivers for the last couple of days due to dwindling of the onrush of water from the upstream hilly catchment areas.
The marooned people have started returning back to their normal life as flood water is receding continuously in different low-lying areas of Sirajganj, Bogra, Natore, Naogaon, Rajshahi and Pabna districts.
Of the 30 river points monitored in the Ganges basin on Sunday, water levels receded at 28 points, while increased at one point and remained steady at one point, according to data from the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
However, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 28 points, while above the danger level at two points.
“We recorded falling trends in most rivers, including Mohananda, Ganges, Padma and the downstream rivers and tributaries of the Ganges basin today,” Mukhlesur Rahman, superintending engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), told BSS Sunday morning.
He said water level of the Ganges River further declined by 9 centimetre (cm) each at Pankha in Chapainawabganj and at Hardinge Bridge points, 6cm at Rajshahi and 11cm at Talbaria point afresh at 9am Sunday.
Mukhlesur said the Ganges River was flowing 188cm, 199cm, 134cm and 103cm below the danger level at Pankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria points, respectively.
Also Read- Flood costs Bangladesh crops worth 1,323C
Water level of the Padma River went down by 11cm further at Goalundo point, and the river was flowing 25cm below the danger level at the point in the morning, he added.
Besides, a falling trend of water levels at the three points of the Jamuna River has been continuing for the last couple of days. The water level receded by 18cm each at Sariakandi point in Bogra and Sirajganj point and, 17cm at Kazipur point in Sirajganj in the morning.
FFWC Executive Engineer Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said the Jamuna River was flowing 104cm, 86cm and 92cm below the danger level at Sariakandi, Kazipur and Sirajganj points, respectively.
Of the 16 river points both in Ganges and Brahmaputra basins, being monitored in many districts under Rajshahi division regularly, water levels declined at all the points and the rivers were flowing below the danger level at all the 16 points this morning.
Arifuzzaman said all the major rivers of the country are in falling trend and it may continue in next 48 hours and all the major rivers of the country are flowing below danger level.
Relief distribution continues
Meanwhile, the local administrations have been distributing relief materials in the worst-affected areas continuously since the flood began.
Some 901,000 people from around 216,000 lakh worst-affected families have, so far, been brought under the relief distribution program to mitigate their livelihood related hardships caused by the flood in different districts under Rajshahi division.
As part of instant humanitarian assistance to cope with the disastrous situation, the government has already allocated 1,512 tons of rice, Tk37.39 lakh in cash, 16,124 packets of dry-food, Tk21 lakh for baby food and Tk40 lakh for animal feed for distribution in the division.
Moinul Islam, additional commissioner of Rajshahi division, said 1,680.5 tons of rice, Tk70.84 lakh, 3,160 packets of dry food, Tk1 lakh for baby food and Tk3 lakh for animal feed remain in stock for distribution.
Simultaneously, the Department of Health has undertaken all possible measures to prevent any outbreak of water-borne diseases among the affected people amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some 4,282 patients were recorded to be suffering from various water-related diseases and 20 deaths occurred mainly due to drowning and snakebite since July 1, sources added.