Water level start receding: Prolong inundation damages crops

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Ehsanul Haque Jasim :
Although the flood situation has slightly improved across the country, many places in the northern region are still under floodwater. Aman paddy, vegetables and other crops on several thousand acres of land have been damaged due to the prolonged inundation.
New areas in Gaibandha district went under floodwater on Tuesday due to collapse of part flood control embankment of Ghagot River. The Chandpur town protection embankment has also been damaged. The water level in most of country’s major rivers has receded falls, but river erosion was going on in some districts. The waterborne diseases were spreading in the flood-hit places.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC), the flood situation in the northern, northwestern, northeastern and central parts of the country is improving and it may continue in the next 72 hours.
Officials of the FFWC said that the flood situation slightly improved in Kurigram, Jamalpur, Bogra, Sirajganj, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Manikganj, Rajbari, Munshiganj and Shariatpur districts on Tuesday. But many people in the northern districts were still marooned, Md Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, Sub-Divisional Engineer and Duty Officer of the FFWC told The New Nation.
He said that the Brahmaputra, the Jamuna, the Ganges, the Padma, the Surma and the Kushiyara rivers were on falling trend which may likely to continue to the next 72 hours. The rivers around Dhaka city may remain steady for next 48 hours, he added.
According to the FFWC official, the water level in 17 river stations marked rises and 63 stations recorded falls on Tuesday. Among the 85 monitored water level stations, five river stations have remained steady, while 21 stations have been recorded above danger level.
In Gaibandha, although the Ghagot River was in falling trend, fresh areas under five unions of Gaibandha Sadar and Fulchhari upazilas went under floodwater due to damage of the flood control embankment of the river. The embankment collapsed at Gotharhat areas under Khulahati union of Sadar upazila on Tuesday morning.
Many ponds and fisheries have been washed away, and thousands of acres of cropland went under water afresh. Locals alleged that the flood control embankment collapsed, as some influential people were lifting sands from the river illegally. However, the authorities did not repair the embankment in proper time. The locals accused the influential people and the authorities for collapse of the embankment.
Deputy Commissioner of Gaibandha Abdus Samad and Superintendent of Police Ashraful Alam visited the spot. Abdul Awal, Executive Engineer of Gaibandha Water Development Board (WDB), said that they had started urgent repair work of the embankment.
In Chandpur, at least 80 meters of the town protection embankment of Chandpur at Puranbazar Horishova area fell into the Meghna. The collapse began on Monday midnight. Panic is spread among the people of Puranbazar Horishova area. Many people have removed their belongings.  
On information, Deputy Commissioner of Chandpur, Superintendent of Police, Municipality Mayor and WDB officials visited the spot. Engineer Mahbubul Karim of Chandpur WDB said that the embankment had been damaged due to onrush of upstream water. He said that they have taken necessary initiative to stop the collapse.
Meanwhile, sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said that T-Aman, vegetables and betel leaf crops on 38,661 hectares of land have been submerged anew in Kurigram and Gaibandha under Rangpur Agriculture Zone alone.
In Rangpur, many people in the Brahmaputra basin became marooned till yesterday as massive flood hit across the basin damaging standing crops, houses and other infrastructure. Officials in district administrations and local public representatives said, people in the low-lying and char areas of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Bogra and Sirajganj districts have become the victims in this second spell floods.
In Kurigram, the affected people of the district are in miseries for the prolonged flood. They are facing crises of dry food and pure drinking water. On the other hand, the owners of cattle in the flood-affected areas find no grasses to feed their livestock. The waterborne diseases were also spreading in several parts of the district.  
Meanwhile, the DAE sources said that standing T-Aman on 23,295 hectares of land and vegetables on 150 hectares have been submerged in the district.
In Faridpur, flood water submerged vast low-lying areas in ten unions under three upazilas in the district leaving thousands of people marooned, snapping road communication and damaging crops and houses. Onrush of water from upstream and heavy rainfall have swelled the Padma river inundating many fresh areas in the district.
According to DAE, standing crops on about five thousand acres of land across the district went under water.

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