The Dharla, Jamuna, Gur, and Jadukata rivers and most of their tributaries were swelling above the danger mark on Friday submerging a vast tract of area in northern Bangladesh.
The Dharla River in Kurigram was flowing 46 centimetres above the danger mark at Kurigram station while Jamuna river was flowing 4 centimeter above the danger level at Sariakandi point, according to the latest bulletin by the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) on Friday morning.
Gur river was flowing above 52 centimeters while Jadukata river was flowing above 145 centimeters in Singra and Lorergarh point respectively.
Out of total 101 water level stations monitored, 66 water level stations witnessed rise in water level on Friday morning, while 32 saw fall in water level and three remained steady, FFWC bulletin shows.
When asked, Md Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer of FFWC, told Dhaka Tribune that the water level was flowing above danger level at four points, but it is temporary and water level will come down within a day or two.
“However, the situation in Kurigram is a bit alarming and we are alert on situations in the district,” he said.
Because of higher rainfall in North-East Indian states, the water of major rivers are above danger level in Sylhet and Sunamganj which will stay for a day or two before coming down, he opined.
The FFWC mentioned that water levels at Brahmaputra- Jamuna Rivers was in rising trend when the monitoring was done.
In the next 24 hours, the Brahmaputra River may remain in a steady state while the Jamuna River may rise, it forecasted.
The major rivers of the Upper Meghna Basin in the North-Eastern region of the country are in rising trend, which may continue for the next 24 hours, it added.
Rainfalls
In terms of rainfall, 200.0 mm was recorded at Lorergarh of Sylhet, 116mm at Durgapur of Netrokona, 94mm at Jaflong of Sylhet and 85mm at Dalia of Nilphamari during 24 hours till 9am Friday.
77mm rainfall was recorded at Panchagarh, 69mm at Panchpukuria, 68mm at Moheshkhola, and 65mm at Lalakhal.
It was 62mm in Narayanhat, 59mm in Chittagong, 58mm in Rangamati, and 51mm at Nakuagaon.
Significant rainfalls were also recorded during this period at Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya & Tripura states of North-East India. It was 424mm at Cherrapunji, 245mm at Shillong, and 72mm at Pasighat of India.
In Kurigram, rainfall in recent days and water from the upstream have caused Teesta, Dharla and Brahmaputra rivers to burst their banks and inundate new char areas in the district, leaving thousands of locals marooned.
According to the local Water Development Board, Dharla was flowing 45 centimetres above its danger level on Friday morning. Teesta and Brahmmapurta were flowing near the danger mark.
Riverbank erosion has taken a serious turn, causing immense suffering for the locals of Sadar, Rowmari, Rajibpur, Chilmari, Ulipur, and Nageshwari upazilas.
In the last two days, around 15 families have so far lost their habitations to erosion by Brahmaputra River in Sadar upazila’s Jatrapur Union, said the union’s chairman Ayub Ali Sarkar.
In Sunamganj, a vast tract of cropland and roads were inundated as the water level in Surma, Jadukata, Rokti and Khasiamara Rivers swelled due to incessant rainfall and onrush of water from India.
Md Sabibur Rahman, executive engineer of Water Development Board, confirmed that 420 mm rainfall was recorded in India’s Cherrapunji. So the onrush of water from India has caused a rise in the water level of rivers in the district.
Around 2500 hectares of Aman paddy were submerged in Sadar, Tahirpur, Bishwamvarpur, and Dowara bazaar upazilas, said Md Safar Uddin, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
In Lalmonirhat, some 5,000 people have been marooned as the low-lying areas were inundated due to incessant rainfall for the last two days and the onrush of hill water, said deputy commissioner Abu Zafar.
Besides, some fresh areas have been flooded in the district as the Teesta River was flowing above its danger level in the morning, causing immense sufferings to the people living by the river banks.
In Nilphamari, Teesta river was flowing 27cm above the danger mark at the Dalia point Friday morning after first crossing the danger mark Wednesday night when it was flowing at 12cm above the danger mark, confirmed Nurul Islam, the gauge reader at Teesta Barrage.
“All 44 gates of the Teesta Barrage have been kept open to control the strong current,” he said.
Low-lying areas of Dimla, Jaldhaka and Lalmonirhat were inundated due to heavy rain and as a result 27 families in Dimla's Baishpukur area have become stranded, Dalia Water Development Board's warning centre said.
Our Correspondents Ariful Islam, Kurigram, Moaezzem Hossain, Lalmonirhat,Taiyeb Ali Sarkar, Nilpahmari and Himadri Shaker, Sunamganj contributed to this report.
