Water levels of the major rivers continued to fall further at most points amidst heavy monsoon rains in the upper catchment areas of northwestern Indian states in the Brahmaputra basin during the last 24 hours.
However, overall flood situation in the Ganges basin remained steady for the third consecutive day today as water levels in many of its rivers and tributaries recorded a rising and falling trend in the past twenty-four hours ending Tuesday morning, reports BSS.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said water levels of major rivers in the Brahmaputra basin marked further fall comparatively slower rate amid onrushing water from the upper catchment during the period.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of BWDB, the recorded rainfalls were 160 mm at Cherrapunji, 134 mm at Shillong and 126 mm at Darjeeling and 56mm at Gangtok in northwestern Indian states during the last 24 hours ending 9am Tuesday.
BWDB sources said water levels of the Brahmaputra marked little fall by four cm at Noonkhawa and two cm at Chilmari while Dharla by 20 cm at Kurigram and Ghaghot rose by four cm at Gaibandha points.
Water levels of the Jamuna marked fall by three cm each at Fulchhari, Bahadurabad and Sariakandi and one cm Kazipur and five cm Sirajganj points during the period in the Brahmaputra basin.
Besides, water level of the Teesta rose by 39 cm at Dalia point and fell by 14 cm at Kawnia point and were flowing below the DM by 36 cm and 76 cm at these points respectively at 9 am Tuesday.
The Brahmaputra was flowing below the DM by 95 cm at Noonkhawa and 45 cm at Chilmari while Dharla by 44 cm at Kurigram and Ghaghot by 61 cm at Gaibandha points at 9 am.
The Jamuna was flowing below the DM by 42 cm at Fulchhari, 40 cm at Bahadurabad, five cm at Sariakandi, 16cm Kazipur and 24cm at Sirajganj points in the Brahmaputra basin at 9 am.
Executive Engineers of BWDB’s Kurigram division Md. Ariful Islam and Mokhlesur Rahman for its Gaibandha division said water levels of major rivers were falling at comparatively lower rates in these districts.
Talking to BSS, Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said incidents of sporadic riverbank erosion have been reported from various riverside areas in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha districts.
“All flood control structures and devices of BWDB are remaining safe everywhere in Rangpur zone where riverbank protection works are being conducted at few vulnerable points,” Ghosh added.
Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for Rangpur region Muhammad Ali said the current phase of the deluge has submerged standing crops on 5,858 hectares of land in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and Rangpur districts.
“The floodwaters are receding from inundated crop lands without causing any major damage following short-term submergence this time at places in Rangpur agriculture region,” Ali said.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md. Zakir Hossain said the district administrations and BWDB authorities are closely monitoring the situation in low-lying riverine and char areas of Rangpur division.
Of the 30 river points, monitored in the Ganges basin Tuesday, water levels receded at 17 points, while increased at 13 points, according to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
However, the rivers were still flowing below the danger level at 27 points while above the danger level at three points Tuesday.
Local office of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) recorded a falling trend at all the four points excepting one in the Ganges River, while the Padma River recorded rising trend at two points and falling trend at two other points.
The Ganges River receded by three Centimetre (cm) at Pankha in Chapainawabganj, two cm at Rajshahi and one cm at Talbaria points, while went up by one cm at Hardinge Bridge afresh, Mukhlesur Rahman, Superintending Engineer of BWDB, told BSS.
Water level in the Korotoa further went up by one cm and eight cm at Chak Rahimpur and at Bogura points respectively.
The Gur River increased by 12 cm further at Singra in Natore, while the Atrai River by four cm at Baghabari in Sirajganj.
FFWC Executive Engineer Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said a falling trend has been recorded at all the six points of the Jamuna River further excepting one this morning.
The river was flowing below the danger level at all its points except one.
The Mahananda River also increased by three cm and four cm at Rohanpur and at Chapainawabganj points respectively.
Of the 16 river points both in Ganges and Brahmaputra Basins, being monitored in many districts under Rajshahi division regularly, water levels increased at seven points, receded at nine points.
The rivers were flowing below the danger level in all the 16 points this morning.
Meanwhile, the local administration has been continuously distributing relief materials in the worst-affected areas since the flood began.
Around 2.18 lakh families consisting of around 9.81 lakh people are badly affected by the flood have, so far, received relief materials to overcome their livelihood related hardships caused by the natural disaster in different districts of Rajshahi division.
The government, as part of its instant humanitarian assistance to cope with the catastrophic situation, has, so far, allocated 1,521.14 tons of rice, TK 39.02 lakh in cash, 16,980 packets of dry-food, TK 21 lakh for baby food and TK 40 lakh for animal feed.
Moinul Islam, Additional Commissioner of Rajshahi division, said distribution of the allocated relief materials among the affected families in the division is in the final stage.
Apart from this, 2,238.5 tonnes of rice, TK 35.87 lakh, 3,620 packets of dry food, TK three lakh for baby food and TK five lakh for animal feed kept stock for distribution.
Simultaneously, the Department of Health has undertaken all possible measures to prevent any outbreak of water-borne diseases among the flood affected people amidst the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Some 5,449 patients were reported to have suffered from various water-related diseases and 24 people died with flood related incidents, particularly drowning and snakebite since July 1, the sources added.
