Flood situation in Gaibandha, Kurigram and Jamalpur districts has deteriorated further with the rise of water level in the Brahmaputra, Jamunaand other 16 rivers in the countries northern districts due to rain and onrush of hilly waters from the upstream.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said water level of the Brahmaputra River rose by 7 cm and water was flowing 26 cm above the danger level at Fulchharighat point at 9 am Saturday.
With the rise of water level in the river, flood water entered the different chars including Satarkandi, Rasulpur, char Ratanpur, Madhyourya, Kalasona, Ziadanga, Vazondanga, char Katlamari, Galna, Gaabgachhi, khachapara, Jamira, Pepulia, Zigabari, Ulgar char, Dakatiar char, char chowmohon, Anandabari, Vatiapara, Paglar char, Horichandi, Khatiamari and Nischintapur of Fulchhari.
Sources said over 8,000 people of the chars have been marooned creating untold sufferings as boats and rafts have become only means of movement in the chars.
Due to flood, agri crops of 120 hectares of land of the upazila went under floodwater making the char dwellers more worried about their food security.
Urya Union parishad Chairman Golam Mostafa Pasha said almost all areas of the union have been submerged resulting in over 1000 families marooned.
Fulchhari UNO Anisur Rahman said the upazila administration has taken all-out preparations to face the flood situation efficiently.
Assistant commissioner of the district administration and also district relief and rehabilitation officer (Acting) Md. Jewel Miah said rice and dry food are being distributed among the flood affected people through respective upazila administration to mitigate the sufferings of the flood hit people.
The district administration led by DC QuaziNahidRasul is also monitoring the flood situation of the district closely, he concluded.
In Jamalpur, Flood situation has deteriorated further due to continuous rise of water level in the river Jamuna affecting about 34 thousand 420 people in the district.
Water Development Board (WDB) sources said during the last 24 hours water level of the river Jamuna rose by 5 cm and was flowing 30 cm above the red mark at Bahadurabadghat point till 9 am.
According to District Relief and Rehabilitation Office (DRRO), flood water affected 7500 people in two unions of DewanganjUpazila and 26920 people of six unions in IslampurUpazila.
Sources said 90 families in DewanganjUpazila and 15 families in IslampurUpazila took refuge in two flood shelters.
Flood water also inundated 25 Kilometer roads in IslampurUpazila as the water entered its 25 educational institutions.
Deputy Director, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Zakia Sultana said with the rising of flood water more standing crops were submerged.
She said flood water submerged T-Aman on 2961 hectares of land, of which, 1248 hectares came under water fully and 1713 hectares partially.
DRRO sources said 24 tones rice and dried foods were distributed among the flood hit people in DewanganjUpazila.
In Kurigram; The water levels of 16 rivers in Kurigram started receding since Friday morning, but nearly 7,000 families of five upazilas have been struggling in stagnant floodwater without drinking water and cooked food.
Over the past two days, 60-80 houses were swept away by the Brahmaputra River due to intense erosion in Chilmariupazila’sNayarhat and Shakhahati Chars.
The unfortunate residents of these areas now find themselves bereft of homes, enduring an inhumane existence under the open sky.
Visiting the flood affected areas, UNB correspondent witnessed the desolate scenes unfolding as people are huddling inside their homes, cowsheds, or seeking refuge in boats.
The persisting waterlogging and submerged tubewells is exacerbating the clean drinking water shortage. To add to their misery, they are forced to subsist on dry rations.
The scarcity of cooking fuel has rendered cooking nearly impossible in these areas. Some families have resorted to pooling resources, with 4-5 households sharing a single stove, cooking together to conserve fuel while preparing their meals.
Homes and agricultural land along the riverbanks in KurigramSadar, Ulipur, Chilmari, Nageswari, and Rajarhat remain submerged. While erosion along the Teesta's banks has slightly decreased, fresh erosion has emerged within the Brahmaputra basin.
According to the district administration's Disaster Management unit, 18,626 people are marooned after the third-time flood hit the district.
At least 798 houses went under water 5,683 hectares of agricultural land were damaged, it said.
Abdullah Al Mamun, Executive Engineer of Kurigram Water Development Board, said, “There is no imminent possibility of rise in water levels in the next 48 hours, which indicates an improvement in the flood situation.”
Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram, Mohammad SaidulArif, said that resources have been allocated by the district and upazila administrations to aid flood-affected people. Distribution of relief materials is underway, he said.
“Furthermore, 18 permanent and 361 temporary shelters have been established to provide shelter to the displaced residents, and an adequate number of speedboats and boats are on standby for flood rescue operations,” he added.
