Staff Reporter :
The country’s flood situation is gradually improving in northeastern and northern parts while other low-lying areas of the country are likely to be inundated for short period of time.
After visiting the flood-hit areas, a number of our correspondents found the trail of devastations caused by the flood. Many roads have been washed away, while some other infrastructures including homesteads are damaged.
Meanwhile, the death toll from floods has risen to 70, with 28 deaths in the last 24 hours across the country.
Of them, the highest 48 and the second highest 18 died in Sylhet and Mymensingh divisions respectively, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The number of people infected with various diseases caused by floods stood at 4,048 across the country.
“Flood in northeastern and northern region is improving as flood water started receding from affected areas. As the pace of receding flood water is very slow, flood might linger in the country,” Executive Engineer and in-charge of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) Md Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan told The New Nation on Thursday.
“The ongoing flood in Meghna basin may prolong as only exit point of flood water is Bhairab in the Meghna river will take much time to pass such huge volume of flood water into the Bay of Bengal. Flood in northeastern region is likely to prolong, if the heavy downpour continues,” he said.
Water levels at 45 river stations monitored by FFWC marked rising while 64 stations recorded fall, he said adding that among the 109 monitored stations, water levels at 19 stations are flowing above the danger level.
“Water continued to flow above the danger lines in two of the country’s four major river basins . . . the situation is worst since the 2004 flooding,” Md Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said.
He further said heavy downpours inside Bangladesh and upstream region of India triggered devastating flood in Bramaputra and Meghna basins.
Monsoon rains and gushing waters from upstream India worsened Bangladesh flood situation with experts calling it the worst since 2004 while millions of people are still marooned, the FFWC official said.
Northeastern and northern parts of Bangladesh may witness prolonged flood as record breaking rainfalls were recorded inside Bangladesh and upstream states of India during the ongoing flood.
According to experts, a large number of embankments have been built in both Bangladesh and Indian regions to control flow of water of major rivers, which are the main reasons for increasing frequency of flooding.
The Brahmaputra at Hatia, Chilmari and Fulchari, the Jamuna at Bahadurabad, Sariakandi, Kazipur, Serajganj and Porabari, the Dharla at Kurigram, the Ghagot at Gaibandha, the Atrai at Baghbari, the Surma at Kanaighat and Sylhet, the Kushiyara at Amalshid, Sheola and Markuli, the Old Surma at Derai, the Someswari at Kalmakanda and the Titas at Brahmanbaria are flowing above danger level by 84cm, 32cm, 45cm, 44cm, 54cm, 53cm, 45cm, 40cm, 19cm, 27cm, 12cm, 99cm, 19cm, 188cm, 65cm, 11cm, 77cm, 63cm and 25cm respectively.
Except Ganges and Padma, all the major rivers in the country are in falling trend, the FFWC bulletin added.
According to the numerical weather forecast of meteorological agencies, except Teesta basin, heavy to very heavy rainfall inside Bangladesh and different upstream Indian regions is unlikely in the next 48 hours, it added.
The FFWC bulletin added the Brahmaputa-Jamuna, Dharala, Dudhkumar and all the major river of the north-eastern region of the country (except the Titas) may continue falling, while the Ganges-Padma River may remain steady in the next 48 hours.
“In the next 48 to 72 hours, there is a chance of medium to heavy rainfall in the sub-Himalayan West-Bengal (Jalpaiguri, Sikkim). As a result, the water level of Teesta river may rise and remain near danger level,” the FFWC bulletin added.
Flood situation in the Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrokona districts may improve, while in the Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria districts may remain unchanged in next 24 hours, the forecasting centre added.
In the next 24 hours, the flood situation in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Serajganj, Tangail and Jamalpur may improve, according to the FFWC statement while there is chance of short duration flood in the low-lying areas of Rajbari, Shariatpur and Madaripur districts in next 24 hours.
