Many new areas in the northern districts of the country have been submerged due to heavy rainfall and onrush of water from upstream as water level of Teesta, Brahmaputra, and Jamuna continues to flow over the danger mark.
The flood situation remained unchanged with little ups and downs in water levels of major rivers causing major suffering for thousands of families in the area.
Officials of the district administrations said nearly 500,000 people of the low-lying areas in seven flood-prone northern districts of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Bogra, Jamalpur, and Sirajganj basin have been marooned.
In Nilphamari, the Teesta was flowing 22cm above the danger mark at Dalia point for the last 24 hours until 9am on Saturday, confirmed Nurul Islam, the gauge reader at Teesta Barrage.
All 44 gates of the Teesta Barrage were kept open since this morning to control the strong current, he said.
“The water level has now fallen and the river is flowing 18cm over the danger mark as of 12pm on Saturday,” he added.
Low-lying areas of Dimla, Jaldhaka and Lalmonirhat were inundated due to heavy rains and as a result 23 families in Dimla's Baishpukur area have become stranded, Dalia Water Development Board's warning centre said.
East Chhatnay Union Parishad Chairman Abdul Latif Khan said many people have shifted their homes to higher grounds as the Teesta water began flowing above the danger level Saturday morning.
Apart from East Chhatnay, homes of 3,000 families in Khagakharbari, Tepakharibari, Khalisha Chapani, Jhunagach and Gayabari of Dimla upazila have been inundated.
In Gaibandha, the water level of the Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Ghaghat, and Karatoya rivers have started receding, but the waters of the Teesta have been rising for the last two days.
The Brahmaputra was flowing 52 cm above the danger level, the Ghaghat River was flowing at 22 cm above the danger level, and the Teesta was flowing 15cm under the danger mark, Gaibandha Water Development Board’s Executive Engineer Md Mokhlesur Rahman said.
In Jamalpur, the Jamuna River dropped by 17cm and was flowing 57cm above the danger mark at Bahadurabad ghat point, said the Water Development Board (WDB).
Department of Agriculture Extension Office sources said standing crops on 13,343 hectares have been submerged by floodwater.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) Md Nayeb Ali said even though floodwater started receding but the situation is yet to improve.
He said over 387,394 people in 49 unions of all seven upazilas of the district have been affected in the flood.
In Tangail, the Jamuna was flowing at 34 cm above the danger mark, the Jhenai River was flowing at 48cm above the danger mark and the Dhaleshwari River was flowing 90cm above the danger mark.
As a result, 124, 571 people have now become stranded in six upazilas of the district.
Besides, 3,613 hectares of cropland have been submerged and the overall flood situation in the district remains unchanged, said district Relief and Rehabilitation and district Agriculture Office.
