Flood situation worsened in 10 districts of the country while some other districts are bracing for floods as water level in the rivers is going up due to incessant rains. In many of the affected areas, floods snapped road links, breached or threatened dams and embankments, triggered river erosion, inundated crop fields and forced educational institutions shut.
Flood situation in Bandarban, Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrakona, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Bogura districts worsened Saturday while Kurigram, Sirajganj, Jamalpur and Chandpur were bracing for floods. Dhaka meteorological office said heavy rainfall may continue in the upstream, especially in India’s Assam, Meghalaya and Bihar, worsening the flood situation over the next week. State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman told reporters that 17,500 tonnes of rice, 50,000 packets of dried food, and Tk 2, 90, 00,000 have been sent for the flood affected people of these districts.
Each of the districts will receive 500 tents and medical teams will visit them within the next few days, he added. The water resources ministry on Saturday set up a control room at the secretariat building to collect data and observe and oversee the country’s overall flood situation. The control room, at the 425 number room of the ministry, has a hotline- 029570028.
The ministry has requested people to give them any flood related information using the number. Besides, anyone can know flood related information dialling 1090 and pressing 5 from the flood forecast and awareness centre of ministry. In Lalmonirhat district, water of Teesta river was flowing 48 cm above the danger level and water of Dharala river was flowing 41cm above. Around 50,000 people of 20 unions of 5 upazilas of the district have become marooned so far.
Lalmonirhat DC Md Abu Zafar told newsmen that his office has already distributed 110 metric tons of rice, dried food and Taka 2,50,000 in cash among the flood affected people of the district.
Sub-Divisional Engineer of Lalmonirhat Water Development Board Bajle Karim said flood control dykes at many areas around the Teesta Barrage collapsed due to incessant heavy rain Water levels of four rivers of Kurigram went up significantly on Saturday. The water level of the Dharla river at the Dharla Bridge point in Sadar upazila rose 61cm till 12:00 pm. As a result, the water was flowing 52 cm above the danger level at the point, according to the control room of Water Development Board, Kurigram,
Water of the Brahmaputra river also rose to 51 centimetres at Chilmari Ghat Point in Chilmari upazila resulting in water flowing at 39 cm above the danger level here. River water in the Teesta at Kaunia Ghat Point of Rangpur’s Kaunia upazila and the Dudh Kumar river at Noon Khaowa Point of Kurigram Sadar upazila also crossed the danger level around 12:00pm on Saturday. Water levels of the Teesta river increased by 30cm and continued to flow 9cm above the danger level. And Dudh Kumar river saw 52cm rise and is flowing 7cm above danger level.
In Gaibandha, some 165 chars of Sundarganj, Fulchhari, Saghata and Sadar Upazila were flooded till Saturday. More than one lakh people of this areas have become marooned. The river erosion started at several points due to strong current of flood water. The Brahmaputra was flowing 25 cm above its danger level at Fulchharighat point of the district this morning. The Ghagot was flowing 1 cm below the danger mark at New Bridge Road point of the district town, the Teesta 3 cm at Kaunia point of Rangpur district and the Karatoa 162 cm at Katakhali Bridge point of Gobindaganj upazila.
Executive Engineer of BWDB Mokhlasur Rahman said as the Brahmaputra was flowing over its danger mark, the officials and the employees of the board had been kept alert and vigil there to protect the embankment from any kind of destruction. As the Ghagot river was also flowing just below its danger level, security measures had also been tightened at the town protection embankment so that any vested quarters could not cut it to create immense sufferings of the Gaibandha municipality, he added.
Chattogram’s low-lying areas like Chawkbazar, Bakulia, Solokbohor, Agrabad, Halisahar, Muradpur, Poddarhaat, Kapasgola and Dewanbazar were inundated in nearly knee-to-waist-deep water. The situation may deteriorate more if the water level in river increases further due to the downpour. People of some 30 villages under five unions of Fatikchhari upazila were suffering due to flash floods resulting from damage of Halda dam and torrents from the hills. Around 800 families have been evacuated from the hilly areas of the district fearing landslide.
Some 10,000 people Bandarban district have become marooned due to incessant rain in last 8 days. Water in the rivers Sangu and Matamuhuri is rising rapidly due to flash flow of water from hills. Road transport from Rangamati to other districts remained snapped for 5 days at a stress as different places of the highway have gone under water. Some 1200 families living in flood and landslide risk have been relocated to 131 safe shelters.
Law lands of remote Baghaichhari area of Rangamati district has been flooded. A few thousand people of this area have suffering from lack of food and drinking water. Rangamati hill district council chairman Brishketu Chakma visited the flood affected areas on Saturday. Baghaichaari UNO Ahsan Habib Jitu told reporters that new areas will be flooded is rain continues. The UNO office so far has distributed relief among 327 affected families. Drinking water, water purifying tablets and oral saline are also being distributed to the flood affected people, he added.
Law lands of Guaighat upazila of Sylhet district has become flooded due to heavy rain and torrents from hills. Most of the people of the upazila have become marooned of this area. The area has become isolated form the upazila headquarters. BSS reports, water levels at 79 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked rise while 11 stations recorded fall.
Among the 93 monitored stations, water level at two river station have been registered steady while water levels at 23 river stations are flowing above danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said here today.
All the major rivers are in rising trend, the bulletin said adding, the major rivers in Chattogram, Sylhet and Rangpur division including the Surma, Kushiyara, Kangsha, Feni, Haldha, Matamuhuri, Sangu and Dharala may rise rapidly in next 24 hours Flood situations in areas of Netrakona, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazaar, Bandarban, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Jamalpur and Gaibandha may deteriorate in next 24 hours commencing at 9am today.
The Surma at Kanaighat, Sylhet and Sunamganj, the Kushiyara at Amalshid, Sheola, Sherpur- Sylhet, the Manu at Manu Rly Br, Moulvibazar, the Dhalai at Kamalganj, Khowai at Ballah, Someswari at Kalmakanda, the Kansha Jariajanjail, the Halda at Narayanhaat, the Sangu at Bandarban and Dohazari, the matamuhuri at Chiringa, the Dharla at Kurigram, the Teesta at Dalia, Ghagot at Gaibandha, the Brahmaputra at noonkhawa and at Chilmari, the Jamuna at Fulchhari and Bahadurabad are flowing above danger level 142 cm, 60cm, 84cm, 128cm, 62cm, 42cm, 37cm, 33cm, 41cm, 83cm, 65cm, 24cm, 22cm, 121cm, 106cm, 35cm, 42cm, 48cm, 6cm,1cm, 34cm, 31cm, 37cm respectively.
Significant rainfall was recorded at some stations in different districts during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today. A total of 225 millimetres (mm) rainfall was recorded at Lalakhal, 115mm at Sylhet, 108mm at Dhaka, 156 mm at Kanaighat, 113 mm at Ramgarh, 103mm at Panchpukuria, 135mm at Narayanhat, 110mm at Jariajanjail and 92mm at Dhugapur.
