Staff Reporter :
The flood situation in several parts of the country has gone from bad to worse overnight.
The flood situation deteriorated in the Brahmaputra basin due to further rise in water levels of major rivers following onrush of water from the upstream during the 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said the major rivers were flowing above their respective danger levels at eight points in Kurigram, Jamalpur, Bogra and Sirajganj districts.
The Dharla River was flowing above the danger mark by 25cm in Kurigram and the Brahmaputra River by 37cm above the danger level at Chilmari point in Kurigram district at 9am on Tuesday.
Besides, the Jamuna River was flowing above the danger mark by 23cm at Fulchhari, 8cm at Saghata, 30cm at Bahadurabad in Jamalpur, 42cm at Sariakandi in Bogra district, and 43cm at Kazipur and 41cm at Sirajganj points in Sirajganj district.Due to falls in water levels during the last 24 hours, the Teesta River was flowing below the danger mark by 26cm at Kawnia point in Rangpur and 42cm at Dalia point in Nilphamari.
Rangpur BWDB Chief Engineer Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said water levels of major rivers might continue to rise during the next 48 hours and aggravate the flood situation in the Brahmaputra basin.
“We are prepared to face any situation during possible floods in all eight districts of Rangpur division under BWDB’s Rangpur zone, from where no incident of breaching of flood control embankments has been reported so far,” he said.
To conduct repairing works and management of flood control embankments on an emergency basis when and where needed, all 12 divisions of three circles of BWBD’s Rangpur zone have taken all necessary preparations.
“We are continuing repair works of erosion-prone riverside banks and ready to do the same for flood control structures alongside the major rivers in Rangpur zone spending Tk62 crore for the flood season this year,” Ghosh added.
BWDB executive engineers Mokhlesur Rahman for Gaibandha and Ariful Islam for Kurigram said all flood control embankments and structures are safe in the two districts although some sporadic incidents of erosions were reported from a few places.
Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre Executive Engineer M Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers were in rising trend which might continue in the next 48 hours in the Brahmaputra basin.
The major rainfalls recorded during the 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday were 42mm each at Shillong and Jalpaiguri and 28mm at Tezpur points of the northwestern Indian states in the upstream.
“During the next 24 hours, the flood situation in low-lying areas of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra and Sirajganj districts may deteriorate in the upper Brahmaputra basin,” Arifuzzaman added.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md Zakir Hossain said the district administrations are closely monitoring the flood situation and conducting relief activities among flood-hit people in the deluge-affected areas of Rangpur division.
Water level of the Padma river near Rajbari has started rising again and the river is now flowing above the danger mark at two points in the area, leaving thousands of families stranded.
Water level in the river has risen by 3cm and 4cm at Daulatdia and Sengram points, respectively. As a result, the mighty Padma is flowing 49cm above the danger level at Daulatdia point and 39cm at Sengram point, reports our Rajbari correspondent Md Rashedul Hasan quoting BWDB sources.
Moreover, the number of pirates and robbers has increased in some remote sandbank areas, adding to the woes of the flood-hit locals.
Earlier on Monday, the river devoured 100 metres of area along the riverbank, which forced many families to move away.
BWDB Executive Engineer Abdul Ahad said: “The water level of the Padma River will continue to increase for another couple of days.”
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the BWDB will work together to prevent river erosion in the area, he assured. Rajbari Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Syed Ariful Huq said 5,787 of the 7,515 families reportedly marooned in the district have been given relief materials so far.
