Flood situation worsens in Brahmaputra basin, The flood situation worsened in five northern districts despite little reduction in the rate of onrushing water from upstream in the last 24 hours marooning over two lakh people so far in the Brahmaputra basin. Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said major rivers were flowing above danger marks at 10 points of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj districts at 9 am today.
Flood situation worsens in Brahmaputra basin
Water levels of major rivers marked rises at a comparatively lower rate during the last 24 hours inundating some fresh low-lying areas. The Dharla was flowing above danger marks by 42cm at Kurigram and Ghagot by 37cm at Gaibandha points during the same period. The Brahmaputra was flowing above danger marks by 23cm at Noonkhawa, 107cm at Hatia, 57cm at Chilmari and 58cm at Fulchhari points.
The Jamuna was flowing above danger marks by 55cm at Bahadurabad, 59cm at Sariakandi, 50cm at Kazipur and 49cm at Sirajganj points at 9 am today. Due to falls in water levels during the last 24 hours, the Dudhkumar was flowing below danger marks by 16 cm at Pateshwari and Teesta was flowing at its danger marks at Dalia and below danger marks by 10cm at Kawnia points.
According to a bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) of BWDB, the recorded rainfall during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today was 164mm at Cherrapunji and 57mm at Pasighat points of the northwestern Indian states. There are less possibly of heavy rainfall inside Bangladesh and different adjoining Indian states in upstream regions during the next 24 hours. “Flood situation in Kurigram, Gaibandha and Jamalpur districts may remain steady while in Bogura, Sirajganj and Tangail districts may deteriorate slightly in the next 24 hours,” the bulletin added.
Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Engineer Muhammad Amirul Haque Bhuiyan and his senior officials are regularly visiting flood-hit areas and monitoring the situation alongside major rivers in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts. “Flood control embankments and structures are remaining safe in Rangpur zone of the BWDB across Rangpur division,” Engineer Bhuiyan said.
Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Emdad Hossain Sheikh said floodwater has so far submerged standing crops on 15,697 hectares of land in low-lying areas of Rangpur agriculture region alone. The submerged standing crops include Aman rice seedbeds on 503 hectares of land, vegetables on 1,559 hectares, Aush rice on 3,016 hectares, groundnut on 138 hectares, Jute on 10,083 hectares and other crops on 3958 hectares of land.
“The inundated crops would not be damaged if the floodwater receded within three to four days of submergence,” he said, adding that steps are being taken to face the situation if the deluge was prolonged and standing crops damaged,” Hossain said. District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) of worst flood-hit Kurigram district Abdul Hye Sarker said deluge situation is still deteriorating but at lower rate following reduction in the rate of onrushing water from upstream since yesterday.
“Some 1,41,612 people of 354,400 families in 319 villages of 49 unions under all nine upazilas in the district have so far been marooned during the current deluge,” he said. The district administration through all nine upazila administrations and public representatives continues distributing 338 tonnes of rice, Taka 16.50 lakh and 1,000 packets of dry foods among flood-hit people of the badly-affected flood-hit district.
Besides, distribution of baby foods worth Taka 18 lakh and fodders of cattle heads worth Taka 17.75 lakh also continues among flood affected people of the district where 85 medical teams are providing health services to the flood- hit people.
“Due to floods, academic activities have been suspended at 325 educational institutions including 294 primary schools, 23 secondary school, seven madrasahs and a college in the district,” the DRRO added. Divisional Commissioner Md. Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan said rescue and relief operations are continuing in the affected areas to assist flood-hit people indeluge-affected districts of Rangpur division.