UNB, Dhaka :
Major rivers in Sylhet including the Surma and the Kushiyara have started swelling again due to incessant rains since Tuesday, creating panic among local people already devastated by worst flood in living memory.
The Surma and the Kushiyara rivers are flowing above their danger levels at some points Thursday morning following heavy downpour in two days since Tuesday.
The floodwaters in the areas adjacent to Surma, Dhalai, Piyain, Sari and Lova river banks almost receded till Tuesday afternoon.
But the Surma River is flowing 0.84cm above the danger level at Kanaighat point while the Kushiyara is flowing 1.12cm above the red level at Amalshid point Thursday morning, according to Sylhet Water Development Board.
The water level of the Kushiyara River is in rising trend at Sheola and Fenchuganj points.
AKM Niloy Pasha, sub-divisional engineer of Sylhet Water Development Board, said, “It is raining in Sylhet as well as in upstream. As a result, the water of these rivers is rising.”
In Sunamganj, rains started again from Monday after a week. Rivers are swelling again due to onrush of water from upstream triggered by rains in Meghalaya and Cherrapunji of India.
The water level of the Surma River has increased by 32 cm in the last three days.
According to Sunamganj Water Development Board, the Surma river was flowing 3 cm below the danger level near Sunamganj town at 12 noon on Thursday.
However, the river is flowing 83cm above the danger level in near Chhatak upazila as the district recorded 195mm rainfall in the last 24 hours.
The Jamuna River has also started swelling in Sirajganj.
The water of the Jamuna has increased by 20 cm at Sirajganj point. But the river is flowing 80 cm below the danger level at this point.
At Kazipur point, water level of the Jamuna has increased by 14 cm and the river is flowing 70 cm below the danger level this morning, said Sirajganj Water Development Board Sub-Divisional Engineer (Headquarters) Nasir Uddin.
However, Shafiqul Islam, executive engineer of Sirajganj Water Development Board, said there is no possibility of flood in this district even if the water level of the Jamuna continues to increase for the next 2/3 days.
Meanwhile, Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said there is chance of heavy rainfall at places of the northern and northeastern Bangladesh along with Assam, Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal (Jalpaiguri, Sikkim) of India in next 24 hours.
As a result, the major rivers of northern Bangladesh (Teesta, Upper Atrai, Dharla, Dudhkumar, Upper Karotoa, Tangon, Punarbhaba and Kulikh) may rise rapidly during this period, it added.
The water level of the Teesta river at Dalia Point, Dharla river at Kurigarm point and Dudhkumar river at Pateswari point may remain close to danger level in next 24 hours.
Flood situation in Kurigram and Dinajpur districts of northern region and Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria districts of northeastern region may remain steady in next 24 hours, it added in their latest report.
