Over three lakh people have been marooned and hundreds other rendered homeless following heavy downpour in the last couple of days and onrush of hill water inundating 160 villages of Feni, Sunamganj, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Sherpur districts.The heavy downpour also helped sharp rise of water flow of the major rivers — Teesta, Dharla and Surma — in these districts, reports our correspondents.Water level of these rivers was flowing above their danger marks leaving over three lakh people marooned in 160 villages in the flood affected districts, said the correspondents, quoting official sources.The district administrations have started distributing relief among the affected families and evacuated many people from the areas submerged under the flash flood. No death, however, was reported from these districts.People living at Teesta Barrage and adjoining areas were evacuated Saturday morning as the authorities have issued red alert there following heavy water current from the upstream,” said Mahbubur Rahman, Executive Engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) of Lalmonirhat district.He said, all the 52 gates of the Teesta Barrage have been kept open to deal with the situation.He, however, said that the situation has improved on Saturday following downtrend of water flow of the river Teesta. “The river was flowing 23cm above the danger level on Thursday, 20cm on Friday evening and was flowing 8cm above the danger level on Saturday,” he added.In Lalmonirhat, about 80 low-lying villages of five upazilas under the district were inundated due to incessant rainfall and sudden onrush of upstream waters in the last three days, marooning more than one lakh villagers of Patgram, Kaliganj, Hatibandha, Aditmari and Dhaniagaci union of Sadar upazilas, said officials of Nilphamari district administration. Mosaddek Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of Mahishkhocha union parishad in Aditmari upazila, said at least 4,000 families of ten villages are surrounded by the water though many people have been shifted to safe places.Ramjan Ali, a member of ward No. 4 of Khalisha Chapani union under Dimla upazila, said the Teesta water has submerged some villages, including West Baishpukur, East Baishpukur and Chotokhata in the upazila.People were seen wading through knee-to waist-deep water there, he said.Rabiul Islam Lifan, Khagakharibari union chairman in Dimla upazila, said 300 families of the union remain stranded for the deluge caused by the rain-fed Teesta.Besides, 700 families of 15 villages, including East Chatnai, Tepakharibari, Khagakharibari-Goyabari, Khalisha Chapani and Jhunagach Chapani of Dimla upazila and Dauabari-Shoulmari and Koimari union in Jaldhaka upazila were marooned, he added.Rabiul Islam Shaheen, chairman of Tepakharibari Union Parishad, said several hundred residents of Charkharibari, North-Kharibari and East-Kharibari villages under the union also remain stranded due to heavy water flow caused by the incessant rainfalls.Meanwhile, erosion of the river Dharla has taken serious turn at bordering Mogholhat village in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila in the last three days displacing hundreds of people of the village. They also lost their homes, land and crops due to the river erosion.With rising of floodwater, erosion along both banks of the river Padma has taken a serious turn at present. On Friday, the erosion entered 20 yards of Char Khanpur Border Outpost (BOP) of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) under Paba upazila of Rajshahi district. In Sunamganj, at least 60 villages in four upazilas have gone under water due to continuous downpour, reports our Sylhet correspondent.With sudden onrush of floodwater from the upstream for more than a week, the water level of Surma, Cholti, Patli and Jadukata rivers have now come close to the danger mark, affecting more than 2,000 families and devouring 15 dwelling houses in four upazilas — Duarabazaar, Tahirpur, Jamalganj and Biswamvarpur.Surma water level may cross the danger level by the next 72 hours if downpour continues there, said WDB control room officials in Sunamganj.Meanwhile, onrush of upstream water from Meghalaya state and heavy rainfall today inundated at least 10 villages of Jhenaigati upazila in Sherpur.Lower parts of Bangaon, Chatal, Bagerbhita, Fakrabad, Kangsha, Darikalinagar, Sarikainagar, Paglarmukh, Aynapur and Bogadubi villages have been flooded.Paddy fields have also been damaged by the inundation after the water-level rose suddenly in the river Maharashi of the upazila, reports our Sherpur correspondent. Meanwhile, floods have caused breaches on the flood control embankment along Muhuri and Kahua rivers, leaving over 250,000 people of 14 villages in Fulgazi Upazila (UZ) of Feni district marooned. The affected villages include Uttar Shreepur, Dakkhin Shreepur, Bijoypur, Purba Nilokkhi, Basura, Kismat Bijoypur, Napitkona, Daulatpur, Bayragpur, Shahapara, Basantapur and Bonikpara. Locals said onrush of water, triggered by heavy rains in the hills, have caused the flood. Heavy rains and onrush of water caused breaches on the flood protection dams at two points on Thursday afternoon. Besides, flood water submerged Fulgazi-Parshuram road halting road communications between the two towns. Officials at the BWDB, Feni, said Muhuri River was flowing 1 metre above its danger level on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, dwellers of Chittagong and Barisal cities have been facing immense suffering for the past few days as continuous monsoon rain created water-logging at most streets there due to their poor drainage system.Water-logging was witnessed in several areas, specially Paschim Madarbari, Bakalia, Chawkbazar, Agrabad, Halishahar, Kapasgola, Chandgaon, Shulakbahar, Enayet Bazar, Boropol, Muradpur, Sholoshahar, Bahaddarhat and Probartak intersection in Chittagong city.Streets of these low-lying areas were submerged in knee-deep water following heavy rainfall began from Wednesday night.Menwhile, heavy downpour for last couple of days paralyzed normal life of the peole of in Barisal city. Most of the city streets went under the knee-deep water due to poor drainage system. Water-logging on different areas caused due to filling and grabbing canals, lack of proper drainage and sewerage system and absence of city protection embankment, said Barisal City Corporation Mayor Ahsan Habib Kamal.
