M M Jasim :
The overall flood situation in Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts deteriorated on Friday due to heavy downpour and onrush of water from the hilly areas in the upstream.
Fresh areas in these three northern districts were inundated yesterday marooning thousands of people.
The water level of the rivers Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar swelled further yesterday due to continuous rainfall and the rush of water down the hills over the last few days.
In Kurigram, low-lying areas in 25 unions of Sadar, Bhurungamari and Nageshwari upazilas were flooded, leaving 50,000 people marooned.
Officials at Bangladesh Water Development Board said the Dharla was flowing 28cm above danger level.
The water level of the Brahmaputra went up by 35 cm, while the Dudhkumar went up by 32cm, and the Teesta waters rose 25cm in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, ten villages in Sadar upazila went under water after a dam in the Halokhana Sarodoba area collapsed.
Executive Engineer Rafiqul Islam of Bangladesh Water Development Board at Dalia division said Teesta River is flowing at least 11 cm above the danger level at Dalia point while Dharala 45 cm above the danger mark at Kulaghat point on Friday morning, flooding vast areas of several upazilas including Hatibandha, Kaliganj and Aditmari.
In Lalmonirhat, several thousand people in several unions of Hatibandha upazila, Kakina, Votemari union parishads of Kaliganj upazila, Mohishkhocha of Aditmari upazila, Khuniagas, Mogholhat, Kulaghat, Rajpur areas of Sadar upazila are now marooned by the floodwater.
If the flow of onrush of water from the hilly areas continues, some 30 villages of Lalmonirhat district will be flooded freshly, the local administration apprehended.
Meanwhile, the officials at local BWDB office warned the inhabitants of the
low-lying areas of Teesta and Dharala to remain alert about the latest flood situation.
Md Aminul Islam, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Hatibanda, said they were monitoring the situation and had asked the higher authorities for relief for the affected people.
Dalia Water Development Board executive engineer Rafiqul Islam told media that the river was flowing 11cm above the red mark waters at Dalia point at 9:00am.
The WDB sources said that onrush of hilly water causes concern as India opened 54 gates of Gajaldoba Barrage and issued alert in the adjacent areas.
Teesta Barrage authority also opened 44 gates to tackle the pressure of gushing waters from upstream. For the situation in the district worsened further on Friday as fresh areas of 30 villages in five upazilas went under water, leaving 30,000 people marooned.
Meanwhile, embankment at Shiberkuti point under Kulaghat union in Sadar upazila was eroded due to the pressure of gushing water which causes fear of further erosion.
Idris Ali, chairman of Kulaghat union, said, ‘Now the rivers Dharla and Ratnai are separated by only one meter area. If the erosion by both of the rivers started together, at least three lakh people of the district will be left marooned.’
Executive engineer of Lalmonirhat Water Devlopment Board, Abdullah Al Mamun said, ‘We started dumping sand bags in the affected areas to prevent further erosion’.
Meanwhile, Jamalpur, Bogra, Sirajganj and Tangail districts are likely to bear the brunt of this monsoon flood.
The northern part of Bangladesh, especially the Brahmaputra basin, is likely to experience moderate to heavy flooding within the next two days, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) warned.
Heavy monsoon rainfall, for last couple of days, upstream in Assam, India, will cause the upcoming flood.
In Khagrachhari, different parts of Dighinala upazila, which had experienced serious flooding barely two weeks ago, were flooded again on Wednesday due to torrential rains.
Locals said Dighinala-Langdu road went under water, disrupting communication.
Farmers fear a huge loss of crops due to the flood.
In Sunamganj, several lakh people have got marooned in Dowarabazar, Shalla, Tahirpur, Dharamapasha upazilas due to flood caused by the rains.
The Surma River was flowing 80 centimeters above the danger level at Sholosahar point.
Besides, low-lying areas-Sahebbari, Nabinagar and Natunbazar-of the town went under water and many educational institutions were shut as rainwater swamped those.
The local Water Development Board has recorded 120mm of rainfall till Wednesday morning.
District Relief and Rehabilitation officer Faridul Haque said that every upazila has been allocated 10 tonnes of rice and Tk 50,000.
In Sylhet, over one lakh people have got marooned as flood caused by heavy rains inundated low-lying areas in Goainghat upazila of the district. The Piyain and Sari rivers are flowing 46 meter above the danger level.
The overall flood situation in Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts deteriorated on Friday due to heavy downpour and onrush of water from the hilly areas in the upstream.
Fresh areas in these three northern districts were inundated yesterday marooning thousands of people.
The water level of the rivers Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar swelled further yesterday due to continuous rainfall and the rush of water down the hills over the last few days.
In Kurigram, low-lying areas in 25 unions of Sadar, Bhurungamari and Nageshwari upazilas were flooded, leaving 50,000 people marooned.
Officials at Bangladesh Water Development Board said the Dharla was flowing 28cm above danger level.
The water level of the Brahmaputra went up by 35 cm, while the Dudhkumar went up by 32cm, and the Teesta waters rose 25cm in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, ten villages in Sadar upazila went under water after a dam in the Halokhana Sarodoba area collapsed.
Executive Engineer Rafiqul Islam of Bangladesh Water Development Board at Dalia division said Teesta River is flowing at least 11 cm above the danger level at Dalia point while Dharala 45 cm above the danger mark at Kulaghat point on Friday morning, flooding vast areas of several upazilas including Hatibandha, Kaliganj and Aditmari.
In Lalmonirhat, several thousand people in several unions of Hatibandha upazila, Kakina, Votemari union parishads of Kaliganj upazila, Mohishkhocha of Aditmari upazila, Khuniagas, Mogholhat, Kulaghat, Rajpur areas of Sadar upazila are now marooned by the floodwater.
If the flow of onrush of water from the hilly areas continues, some 30 villages of Lalmonirhat district will be flooded freshly, the local administration apprehended.
Meanwhile, the officials at local BWDB office warned the inhabitants of the
low-lying areas of Teesta and Dharala to remain alert about the latest flood situation.
Md Aminul Islam, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Hatibanda, said they were monitoring the situation and had asked the higher authorities for relief for the affected people.
Dalia Water Development Board executive engineer Rafiqul Islam told media that the river was flowing 11cm above the red mark waters at Dalia point at 9:00am.
The WDB sources said that onrush of hilly water causes concern as India opened 54 gates of Gajaldoba Barrage and issued alert in the adjacent areas.
Teesta Barrage authority also opened 44 gates to tackle the pressure of gushing waters from upstream. For the situation in the district worsened further on Friday as fresh areas of 30 villages in five upazilas went under water, leaving 30,000 people marooned.
Meanwhile, embankment at Shiberkuti point under Kulaghat union in Sadar upazila was eroded due to the pressure of gushing water which causes fear of further erosion.
Idris Ali, chairman of Kulaghat union, said, ‘Now the rivers Dharla and Ratnai are separated by only one meter area. If the erosion by both of the rivers started together, at least three lakh people of the district will be left marooned.’
Executive engineer of Lalmonirhat Water Devlopment Board, Abdullah Al Mamun said, ‘We started dumping sand bags in the affected areas to prevent further erosion’.
Meanwhile, Jamalpur, Bogra, Sirajganj and Tangail districts are likely to bear the brunt of this monsoon flood.
The northern part of Bangladesh, especially the Brahmaputra basin, is likely to experience moderate to heavy flooding within the next two days, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) warned.
Heavy monsoon rainfall, for last couple of days, upstream in Assam, India, will cause the upcoming flood.
In Khagrachhari, different parts of Dighinala upazila, which had experienced serious flooding barely two weeks ago, were flooded again on Wednesday due to torrential rains.
Locals said Dighinala-Langdu road went under water, disrupting communication.
Farmers fear a huge loss of crops due to the flood.
In Sunamganj, several lakh people have got marooned in Dowarabazar, Shalla, Tahirpur, Dharamapasha upazilas due to flood caused by the rains.
The Surma River was flowing 80 centimeters above the danger level at Sholosahar point.
Besides, low-lying areas-Sahebbari, Nabinagar and Natunbazar-of the town went under water and many educational institutions were shut as rainwater swamped those.
The local Water Development Board has recorded 120mm of rainfall till Wednesday morning.
District Relief and Rehabilitation officer Faridul Haque said that every upazila has been allocated 10 tonnes of rice and Tk 50,000.
In Sylhet, over one lakh people have got marooned as flood caused by heavy rains inundated low-lying areas in Goainghat upazila of the district. The Piyain and Sari rivers are flowing 46 meter above the danger level.
