Special Correspondent :
Teesta river water is flowing above the danger level in Lalmonirhat due to heavy rain and onrush of hill water from India inundating five upazials of the district on Thursday.
About 5,000 people in Aditmari, Patgram, Hatibandha, Kaliganj and Lalmonirhat Sadar upazilas remained marooned for the last three days. Affected people are passing their days in misery due to lack of drinking water and relief materials, according to local administration.
Deputy Commissioner of the district Shafiul Arif said they have sent a letter to the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry seeking emergency support for the flood victims.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, the Teesta river was flowing 11cm above the danger level at 6:00pm at the Teesta Barage Point at Dowani of Lalmonirhat district.
BWDB Dahlia division executive engineer Rafiqul Alam Chowdhury said the onrush of hill water from upstream swelled Teesta river above the danger level. “All of the 44 sluice gates of the Teesta Barrage have been opened to bring the situation under control.”
Besides, strong currents of the Teesta river have led to erosion of 100 houses in Aditmari upazila and washed away 200 meter of Kutirpara dam of the upazila.
In Meghna basin, the Surma Old, Surma and Kushiyara rivers were overflowing due to continued rainfall.
The Surma river was swollen 121cm above the safe level at Kanaighat, 44cm in Sylhet, 80cm in Sunamganj, while Kushiyara swelled 22cm over the safe level near Sylhet city and 57cm at Derai.
Water level at the Brahmaputa-Jamuna, Ganges-Padma and rivers of the upper Meghna basin are rising while the rivers of South Eastern Hilly basin are falling.
The Brahmaputa-Jamuna rivers may continue rising in next 72hours, while the Ganges-Padma rivers may continue rising in next 48 hours. The Surma-Kushiyarar rivers in the North-Eastern region of the country may continue rising in next 24 hours, according to Rainfall and River Situation Summary as on Thursday
According to information of Bangladesh and Indian Meteorological Departments, there is chance of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the Northern region of the country and
adjoining Indian parts in next 24 to 48 hours.
The water level of Dharala, Teesta, Dudhkumar, Ghagot rivers in the Northern region of the country may rise rapidly in next 24 to 48 hours
