Staff Reporter :
Railway trucks on the eastern side of the Bangabandhu Bridge submerged dilinking the communications with Jamalpur following continued rise of floodwater since Wednesday.
The onrush of water also collapsed some chunks of Tarakandi-Tangail road snapping road and railway communications with south, west and north districts, officials said on Thursday.
Abdul Quader, Bhuapur railway stationmaster on Thursday said the train communication remains suspended for an indefinite period.
“As water level in the Jamuna river registered a rise, the route has become unfit for train movement in Kalibari area of Sarishabari upazila due to the continuous downpour and floodwater. When the Jamuna river water will be receding, the railway communications will be resorted,” he said.
Besides, panic ran high among thousands of people who along with their families took refuge on embankments, in schools or tents on higher ground as they have been asked to leave the area apprehending threat to flood protection embankment in Sariakandi and Godkhali area of Bogra district yesterday.
“As our houses were washed away, people have taken shelter on the flood control embankment. We have been asked to leave the embankment as many cracks developed on it. We spent a sleepless night when came to know that the embankment might collapse anytime. Now where we will go,” an old man asked on Thursday.
Apart from these, flood protection embankment in Nurullahpur area of Lalpur upazila in Natore district collapsed in the river Padma.
Local people on Thursday said that around 600 feet CC block of the embankment collapsed in the river. If more 100 feet CC block of the embankment collapses, the riverside houses, establishments and croplands will start eroding.
“Panic gripped us. We know nothing about our future. If the CC block of the embankment continues collapsing, our everything will be destroyed within moment,” an anxious farmer said.
Meanwhile, flood situation deteriorated in Faridpur, Naogaon, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Tangail and Bogra districts on Thursday.
In Jamalpur, three people, including two schoolboys, have drowned in floodwater on Wednesday morning at Bhaluka village in Melandah upazila.
The deceased were identified as Zillur Rahman, 15, son of Liakat Ali of Nagerpara, and Sajib, 15, son of Mayna of the upazila, class-X students of Melandah Umir Uddin Pilot High School, and Lal Mia, son of Badsha Mia of Tentulia village in Jamalpur municipality.
Mazharul Karim, Officer-in-Charge of Melandah Police Station, said Zillur and Sajib were taking a group selfie standing beside floodwater in the area around 11:30 am.
At one stage, they slipped into the water and drowned. Later, pedestrian Lal Mia also drowned as he tried to rescue the schoolboys. Later, the floating body of Zillur was recovered around 4:00 pm on the day, the OC said.
Fire servicemen recovered the remaining two bodies around 9:00 am on Thursday after a 20-hour of hectic search, he added.
In Faridpur, around 100 villages of the low-lying areas in three upazilas – Sadar, Char Bhadrasan and Sadarpur – have been flooded due to onrush of water from the upstream and incessant rainfall, leaving more than one lakh people marooned.
Jahirul Islam, Deputy Assistant Engineer of Water Development Board of the district, said the water of the mighty Padma River at Goalanda point has been flowing 92 centimetres above the danger level.
Villages in North Channel, Decrier Char and Aliabad unions under Sadar upazila were inundated as water level of the Padma River had risen by 16 centimetres in the last 24 hours.
Besides, 15,000 families of the district were marooned as Padma, Madhumati and Arial Khan and Kumar Rivers have been flowing above the danger mark, he added.
Goaldangi road in North Channel union and Mohammadpur road in Charmadhobdia, the only way to road connectivity of the unions, were submerged by floodwater, snapping the road communication with the district headquarters.
Parvez Mollik, Faridpur district Administration Executive Magistrate and NDC, said some 29 schools in low-lying areas of the district have remained closed as water level in the rivers has risen suddenly.
“We are preparing a list of flood-affected people as relief items will be distributed among them within one or two days,” he added.
In Naogaon, The flood situation has worsened as nine out of 11 upazilas in the district have been inundated by floodwater.
Officials of Water Development Board said Chhoto Jamuna river was flowing 82cm above danger level and Atrai river 208cm above danger level.
District flood control officials said about 349 villages of 60 unions have been left marooned by floodwater in the district.
Apart from this, standing crops on 40,000 hectares of land went under water. Deputy Commissioner Dr M Aminur Rahman said the district administration is trying its level best to mitigate the sufferings of flood victims.
District administration is distributing relief materials among the flood-affected people of nine upazilas.
In Rangpur, the displaced people started returning homes at most places following a further improvement in flood situation in northern districts on the Brahmaputra basin during 24 hours till 9am on Thursday. Water Development Board (WDB) officials said the major rivers marked a further fall in their water levels following reduction in onrushing waters from the upstream during the period.
The officials said the improving trend might continue with further recession in water levels of the major rivers in all 10 flood-hit northern districts during the next 12 hours.
Water levels of the Brahmaputra marked a fall by 19cm at Noonkhawa, 15cm at Chilmari and 13cm at Fulchhari while Dharla marked fall by 22cm at Kurigram and Ghaghot by 10cm at Gaibandha points during the period.
The Teesta remained steady at Dalia, Jamuna marked a fall by 13cm at Bahadurabad and 4cm at Sariakandi and Punorvoba marked fall by 165cm at Dinajpur, Ich-Jamuna by 19cm at Phulbari and Tangon by 8cm at Thakurgaon points during the period.
However, water level of the Jamuna marked little rise by 3cm at Kazipur and 4cm at Sirajganj points during the period. The Punorvoba was flowing below DM by 200cm at Dinajpur, Tangon by 210cm at Thakurgaon, Ich-Jamuna by 12cm at Phulbari, Teesta by 50cm at Dalia and 115cm at Kawnia points at 9am Thursday.
However, the Brahmaputra was flowing above its danger mark (DM) by 16cm at Noonkhawa, 64cm at Chilmari and 90cm at Fulchhari while Dharla 54cm above DM at Kurigram points at 9am on Thursday.
