Water level in many of the rivers in the Ganges basin recorded a falling trend Thursday morning after remaining steady for the past couple of days due to declining of onrushing floodwater from the upstream hilly catchment.
“We recorded falling and steady trends in many rivers, including Modananda, Ganges, Padma and some of the downstream rivers and tributaries of the Ganges basin,” Mukhlesur Rahman, Superintending Engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), told BSS Thursday morning.
He said water level of the Ganges River remained steady at Rajshahi and Hardinge Bridge points, while went up by 7cm at Talbaria and receded by 3cm at Pankha in Chapainawabganj.
However, Mukhlesur said, the Ganges River was still flowing 168cm, 183cm, 109cm and 70cm below the danger levels at Pankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria points respectively.
Water level of the Padma River was flowing 12cm above the danger level at Goalundo point, he added.
Of the 30 river points monitored in the Ganges basin, water levels receded at 16 points, while increased at 10 points and remained stable at four points, according to data of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
The rivers were flowing below the danger level at 27 points, while above the danger levels at three points.
The Korotoa River was flowing 264cm and 368cm below the danger mark at Chak Rahimpur and Bogra points respectively.
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 12cm at Sariakandi point in Bogra, 10cm at Kazipur point in Sirajganj and 11cm at Sirajganj point.
FFWC Executive Engineer Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said the Jamuna River was flowing 46cm, 41cm and 50cm below the danger level at Sariakandi, Kazipur and at Sirajganj points respectively.
He said the Gur River was flowing 37cm below the danger level at Singra point in Natore, while the Atrai River was flowing 14cm below the danger mark at Baghabari point in Sirajganj.
Of the 16 river points both in Ganges and Brahmaputra Basins, being monitored in many districts under Rajshahi division regularly, water levels declined at 12 points while increased at one point and remained steady at three points.
The rivers were flowing below the danger level at all the 16 points.
Engineer Bhuiyan said all the major rivers in the country are in a falling trend.
Around 216,000 worst-affected families consisting of 901,000 people have, so far, been brought under the relief distribution program to overcome their livelihood related hardships caused by the flood in different districts under Rajshahi division.
Simultaneously, the Department of Health has undertaken all possible measures to prevent any outbreak of water-borne diseases among the affected people amid the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Some 3,877 patients were recorded to be suffering from various water-related diseases and 18 deaths occurred mainly caused by drowning and snakebite since July 1, the sources added.
