BSS :
The flood situation deteriorated during the last 24 hours till 9am on Wednesday inundating fresh low-lying and char areas despite a reduction in the rate of onrushing water from the upstream in the Brahmaputra basin.
Officials of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said the major rivers were flowing above danger levels (DL) at 10 points in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra, and Sirajganj districts in the basin.
The Brahmaputra River was flowing 44cm above its DL at Chilmari, 2cm at Hatia. Dharla River was flowing by 12cm at Kurigram points in Kurigram and Ghaghot River by 6cm above the DL at Gaibandha point at 9am on Wednesday.
The Jamuna was flowing 39cm above the DL at Fulchhari, 20cm at Shaghata in Gaibandha, 44cm at Bahadurabad, Jamalpur, 52cm at Sariakandi, Bogura, 52cm at Kazipur, and 51cm at Sirajganj points in Sirajganj districts at 9am on Wednesday.
Water level of the Teesta have fallen by 13cm at Dalia, Nilphamari, and 20cm at Kawnia, Rangpur during the past 24 hours and were flowing below the DL at 55cm and 46cm respectively.
Executive Engineer M Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan of Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) of BWDB said the Brahmaputra and Jamuna river systems are in a rising trend that might continue in the next 48 hours.
The rainfalls recorded during the past 24 hours ending at 9am on Wednesday were 77mm at Aizawl and 53mm at Kailashahar points of the northwestern Indian states in the upstream.
“During the next 24 hours, the flood situation in the low lying areas of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra, and Sirajganj may deteriorate in the Brahmaputra basin,” Engineer Arifuzzaman added.
Talking to BSS on Wednesday, Chief Engineer Jyoti Prosad Ghosh for
Rangpur Zone of BWDB said the flood situation in Kurigram and Gaibandha may deteriorate while in Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari may improve further in the next 24 hours.
“No report of breaching of flood control embankments was received so far from the Rangpur zone. We are closely monitoring the situation, repairing erosion-hit riverbanks, and ensuring safety of flood control structures,” Ghosh added.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said flood water has submerged standing crops on 17,901 hectares of land in the low-lying areas of four districts out of five in Rangpur agriculture region alone.
The submerged standing crops include transplanted Aman rice on 17,621 hectares of land, Aman seedbeds on 100 hectares, and vegetables on 180 hectares of land in Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, and Lalmonirhat districts.
Meanwhile, the government has launched relief operations as the current spate of flood exposed many people to suffering following the inundation of low-lying areas in the affected districts in the upper Brahmaputra basin. District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) Idris Ali said the district administration has allocated 40 tonnes of rice and Tk2 lakh for distribution among flood-hit people of the district.
DRRO of Rangpur ATM Akhteruzzaman said the district administration has allocated Tk3.5 lakh and 20 tonnes of rice for distribution among flood-affected people of Gangachara upazila.
Kurigram DRRO Abdul Hai Sarker said the district administration has already allocated 280 tonnes of rice and Tk12 lakh for distribution among flood-hit people of the district.
Additional Divisional Commissioner Md Zakir Hossain said the district administrations with local authorities have taken steps to conduct relief activities in the flood affected districts and face the deluge situation.
