Moderate to heavy intermittent showers coupled with onrush of upstream water deteriorated the overall flood situation in mid districts, north, northeast and northwest parts of the country mounting miseries on the marooned people.
Besides, strong current due to rough weather continued disrupting ferry services on two major routes on the river Padma on Wednesday, inflicting miseries on passengers and truckers.
However, the water level of Brahmaputra might continue to rise until Sunday as the FFWC recorded heavy rains across north and parts of south-eastern Bangladesh.
Under such circumstances although some relief items have been distributed among the people of flood-affected areas of the country, they are far from adequate.
People are spending their days in extreme hardship due to the terrible floods. Houses, crop lands and other things have been damaged. The ongoing river bank and dam work of the Water Development Board (WDB) have been washed away.
The FFWC already warned that the flood might continue through the second week of August as it has already affected more than three million people in 21 districts.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department predicted light to moderate rains in most of the places in Mymesingh, Sylhet, Barishal and Chattogram divisions until Friday morning.
FFWC Executive Engineer Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said, “The flood situation could stop improving due to heavy rains and sea water pressure again, and the rainfall trend may continue to increase day by day till July 31.”
He further said, “The Balu river at Demra might overflow its danger mark further worsening the situation as 20 rivers have already flowed above their danger marks at 30 places across the country.”
At present the water level in the Brahmaputra and Jamuna is rising slowly and is above the danger level.
Moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in many places inside and outside the country this week. As a result, the water in this basin may remain the same.
Therefore, the flood situation will remain unchanged in 13 districts from Nilphamari to Kurigram to Manikganj. At the same time, floods will continue in the lower parts of Dhaka and Narayanganj.
For the same reason, increased flow of water in the rivers of Ganga, Padma and Meghna basins may worsen the flood situation in the eastern and central parts of the country instead of improving it.
According to the latest data, water is flowing above the danger level in 30 places of at least 20 major rivers in the country. These are - Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Dharla, Ghagat, Karatowa, Gur, Atrai, Dhaleshwari, Old Brahmaputra, Balu, Shitalakshya, Turag, Tongi Khal, Kaliganga, Arialkhan, Old Surma and Titas.
Meanwhile, if the flood situation worsens during the Eid holidays, it has been instructed to make overall preparations. The directive was given at a coordination meeting held at the prime minister's office on Tuesday afternoon.
As per the directives of the prime minister, the flood-hit districts were urged to carry out their duties with sincerity in the overall affairs including relief and rescue operations, shelter management, transportation and communication system, flood control dams, river erosion, health services, transportation of goods, relief distribution and food stocks, said a PMO media release.
The meeting also reviewed the country’s ongoing flood situation, relief and rehabilitation programmes, shelter centre management, rescue operation, assessment of losses and damages caused by flood in agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors, and the overall flood management.
