Staff Reporter :
At least 26 people drowned and 28 others went missing as the overall flood situation deteriorated further in the country’s north and northeast districts on Monday.
With this, the total death toll rose to 26, according to our correspondents.
The floods situation in Lalmonirhat district worsened further yesterday as six dams
collapsed due to strong current in the Teesta and Dharla rivers inundating, fresh areas of the district.
Heavy flooding across the region also forced lakhs of people to leave their homes and caused severe damage to crops, with officials on Sunday warning that the situation could worsen ahead.
The flood destroyed key rice crops and drove thousands of farmers and their families to take refuge in schools or tents on higher ground, as water submerged roads and cut transport to affected areas.
People were sheltering in tents pitched along the main highway after the land on both sides became inundated. Poisonous snakes are slithering through the floodwaters.
Railway and road communications between the affected district and rest part of the country have remained suspended since Saturday.
Nine more districts might be flooded in the days ahead and the low-lying areas surrounding Dhaka might also go under water, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said on Monday.
He added 20 people drowned by floodwaters in the northern districts in the last two days. All ill-fated people drowned in the floodwaters.
He came up with this statement while briefing journalists on overall flood situation at Disaster Management and Relief Bhaban at Mohakhali in the city yesterday.
About six lakh people 20 flood-hit districts including Sylhet, Sunamganj, Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Bogra, Sirajganj, Netrakona, Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh are now reeling under floodwaters.
“A total of 5.86 lakh people of the 20 districts have become flood victims,” said Maya The minister said that a total of 358 unions in 368 upazilas have been affected by floods. Already, 973 shelter centres have been opened where 3,68,586 flood victims took shelter.
“Besides, the ministry cancelled all holidays of its officials and staffs to tackle floods,” he said.
Maya said that the government allotted 13.630 lakh metric tonnes of rice and Tk 3.10 crore for the flood victims in 33 districts till August 14.
“Following the order of Prime Minister, the overall flood situation is under surveillance by the ministry. Besides, the Prime Minister is also taking regular updates of flood situation,” Maya, said, adding “We have stocked adequate food, relief items for the flood victims.”
He also said that the government has already taken adequate measures considering the recent floods in the neighbouring countries – Nepal, Bhutan and India.
His comments came as experts feared the deluge to engulf vast part of the riverine nation in the coming week causing a prolonged flooding.
“All indicators suggest that the flood is likely to be severe this time,” leading water expert Professor Ainun Nishat told the media as Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) records suggest that water levels in three out of four river basins were rising simultaneously.
He said that gushing waters from three sides of the upstream region would eventually tend to be deposited in central Bangladesh, including areas around the capital Dhaka.He feared that particularly the unprotected eastern part of the city could be submerged for a prolonged period inundating parts of the city.
In Rangpur, the flood situation deteriorated further following continuous onrush of water from upstream during past 24 hours marooning about 10 lakh people of over 4.80 lakh families in ten northern districts on the Brahmaputra basin. According to the District Relief and Rehabilitation Officers (DRRO) of the affected districts, 23 people, including 14 in Dinajpur, four in Kurigram, three in Lalmonirhat and two in Nilphamari, drowned in floodwater during the past couple of days.
According to Water Development Board (WDB) sources, the major rivers were flowing above their respective danger mark (DM) at 14 points in Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Bogra and Sirajganj districts on Monday.
However, floodwater started receding from inundated areas in Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts since Sunday through suffering of the marooned people still continues.
Executive Engineer of WDB for Rangpur Engineer Mahbubur Rahman said the upper Brahmaputra basin is facing devastating floods following heavy rainfalls.
“Though water level of the Teesta marked falls at all points in Rangpur during the past 24 hours, the overall flood situation remains mostly unchanged as the Jamuneswari still continues to rise,” he added.
DRRO of Dinajpur Mokhlesur Rahman said 14 persons have so far died from drowning in floodwater in the district.
“Over 1.10 lakh families are affected by floodwater in the district where 44,045 people have been shifted to safer flood shelters and distribution of 300 tonnes rice, Tk 11 lakh and 2,000 packets dry foods allocated by the government continues,” he added.
Kurigram DRRO Enamul Haque said four people have drowned in floodwater in the district where 1.02 lakh families are affected by flood. Distribution of 200 tonnes rice, Tk 5 lakh and 2,000 packets of dry foods continues.
Nilphamari DRRO ATM Akhteruzzaman said 41,535 families are affected and two people drowned in the district where overall flood situation marked improvement on Monday and distribution of 50 tonnes of rice and 2,000 packets of dry foods continues.
At least 26 people drowned and 28 others went missing as the overall flood situation deteriorated further in the country’s north and northeast districts on Monday.
With this, the total death toll rose to 26, according to our correspondents.
The floods situation in Lalmonirhat district worsened further yesterday as six dams
collapsed due to strong current in the Teesta and Dharla rivers inundating, fresh areas of the district.
Heavy flooding across the region also forced lakhs of people to leave their homes and caused severe damage to crops, with officials on Sunday warning that the situation could worsen ahead.
The flood destroyed key rice crops and drove thousands of farmers and their families to take refuge in schools or tents on higher ground, as water submerged roads and cut transport to affected areas.
People were sheltering in tents pitched along the main highway after the land on both sides became inundated. Poisonous snakes are slithering through the floodwaters.
Railway and road communications between the affected district and rest part of the country have remained suspended since Saturday.
Nine more districts might be flooded in the days ahead and the low-lying areas surrounding Dhaka might also go under water, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said on Monday.
He added 20 people drowned by floodwaters in the northern districts in the last two days. All ill-fated people drowned in the floodwaters.
He came up with this statement while briefing journalists on overall flood situation at Disaster Management and Relief Bhaban at Mohakhali in the city yesterday.
About six lakh people 20 flood-hit districts including Sylhet, Sunamganj, Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Bogra, Sirajganj, Netrakona, Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh are now reeling under floodwaters.
“A total of 5.86 lakh people of the 20 districts have become flood victims,” said Maya The minister said that a total of 358 unions in 368 upazilas have been affected by floods. Already, 973 shelter centres have been opened where 3,68,586 flood victims took shelter.
“Besides, the ministry cancelled all holidays of its officials and staffs to tackle floods,” he said.
Maya said that the government allotted 13.630 lakh metric tonnes of rice and Tk 3.10 crore for the flood victims in 33 districts till August 14.
“Following the order of Prime Minister, the overall flood situation is under surveillance by the ministry. Besides, the Prime Minister is also taking regular updates of flood situation,” Maya, said, adding “We have stocked adequate food, relief items for the flood victims.”
He also said that the government has already taken adequate measures considering the recent floods in the neighbouring countries – Nepal, Bhutan and India.
His comments came as experts feared the deluge to engulf vast part of the riverine nation in the coming week causing a prolonged flooding.
“All indicators suggest that the flood is likely to be severe this time,” leading water expert Professor Ainun Nishat told the media as Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) records suggest that water levels in three out of four river basins were rising simultaneously.
He said that gushing waters from three sides of the upstream region would eventually tend to be deposited in central Bangladesh, including areas around the capital Dhaka.He feared that particularly the unprotected eastern part of the city could be submerged for a prolonged period inundating parts of the city.
In Rangpur, the flood situation deteriorated further following continuous onrush of water from upstream during past 24 hours marooning about 10 lakh people of over 4.80 lakh families in ten northern districts on the Brahmaputra basin. According to the District Relief and Rehabilitation Officers (DRRO) of the affected districts, 23 people, including 14 in Dinajpur, four in Kurigram, three in Lalmonirhat and two in Nilphamari, drowned in floodwater during the past couple of days.
According to Water Development Board (WDB) sources, the major rivers were flowing above their respective danger mark (DM) at 14 points in Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Bogra and Sirajganj districts on Monday.
However, floodwater started receding from inundated areas in Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts since Sunday through suffering of the marooned people still continues.
Executive Engineer of WDB for Rangpur Engineer Mahbubur Rahman said the upper Brahmaputra basin is facing devastating floods following heavy rainfalls.
“Though water level of the Teesta marked falls at all points in Rangpur during the past 24 hours, the overall flood situation remains mostly unchanged as the Jamuneswari still continues to rise,” he added.
DRRO of Dinajpur Mokhlesur Rahman said 14 persons have so far died from drowning in floodwater in the district.
“Over 1.10 lakh families are affected by floodwater in the district where 44,045 people have been shifted to safer flood shelters and distribution of 300 tonnes rice, Tk 11 lakh and 2,000 packets dry foods allocated by the government continues,” he added.
Kurigram DRRO Enamul Haque said four people have drowned in floodwater in the district where 1.02 lakh families are affected by flood. Distribution of 200 tonnes rice, Tk 5 lakh and 2,000 packets of dry foods continues.
Nilphamari DRRO ATM Akhteruzzaman said 41,535 families are affected and two people drowned in the district where overall flood situation marked improvement on Monday and distribution of 50 tonnes of rice and 2,000 packets of dry foods continues.
