Flood situation aggravates inundating fresh areas in B'putra basin

The flood situation deteriorated further on Monday following inundation of fresh areas as major rivers, excepting Teesta, marked rise to flow above their danger marks (DM) at eleven points in the Brahmaputra basin.

Officials of Water Development Board (WDB) said the situation worsened in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra and Sirajganj while remained mostly unchanged in Rangpur, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat during the past 24 hours till 3 pm on Monday.

The district administration sources said around seven lakh people have been affected by floodwater and sporadic erosion continues along the riverbanks in affected areas.

Many flood-hit people have taken shelters at flood shelters, flood control embankments and institutions and the administrations have enhanced evacuation and relief activities in affected areas.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said floodwater has submerged standing crops on 5,794 hectares of land in 23 flood-affected upazilas of Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts.

Besides, standing crops on 8,603 heaters of land have been inundated by floodwater in 14 unions of three upazilas in Bogura district.

Meanwhile, Acting Deputy Commissioners, UNOs, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officers (DRRO), WDB officials and local public representatives are visiting affected areas and distributing relief goods among flood-hit people.

Superintending Engineer (SE) of WDB for Rangpur Circle-1 Harun or Rashid said officials and employees of WDB are working ceaselessly to protect embankments from damages as major rivers were flowing above their respective DM at several points.

"Water level of the Teesta receded by 20 cm in last 24 hours at Dalia point where the river was flowing at its DM level at 3 pm on Monday," he said.

The Teesta was still flowing only 2cm above the DM Kawnia point in Rangpur at 3 pm.

"The Dharla was flowing 112cm above the DM at Kurigram, Brahmaputra by 79cm at Noonkhawa and 108cm above the DM at Chilmari points at 3 pm," he said.

Meanwhile, the Jamuna was flowing 112cm above the DM at Fulchhari and 78cm at Sariakandi and Ghaghot by 74cm above the DM at Gaibandha points at 3 pm, the SE added.

On the other hand, the Jamuna was flowing 119cm above the DM at Bahadurabad, 45cm at Kazipur and 16cm above the DM at Sirajganj points at 9 am on Monday.

Talking to BSS, DRRO Rangpur ATM Akhteruzzaman said the district administration has allocated 110 tonnes of rice and Taka three lakh for distribution among 17,500 affected families of three upazilas in the district.

DRRO of Kurigram Khairul Anam said the district administration continues distributing 280 tonnes of rice, 2,000 packets of dry foods and Taka 6.75 lakh among 2.94-lakh people of 390 affected villages in 55 unions of all nine upazilas in the district.

Gaibandha district administration has allocated 400 tonnes of rice, Taka 6.50 lakh and 2,000 packets of dry foods for distribution among 2.54 lakh flood-affected people of 213 villages in 26 unions of four upazilas in the district.

Nilphamari district administration has so far allocated 170 tonnes of rice, Taka 2.50 lakh and 2,000 packets of and dry foods for distribution among flood-affected people of Dimla upazila, said SA Hayat, DRRO of Nilphamari.

DRRO of Bogura Azhar Ali Mandal said district administration has allocated 142 tonnes of rice and 2,000 packets of dry foods for distribution among 66,800 flood-hit people of 98 villages in 14 unions of three upazilas in the district.