Thousands marooned in north as rivers keep swelling

Most of the rivers, including the Brahmaputra, the Dharla and the Dudh Kumar, were flowing above the danger level on Wednesday morning, marooning hundreds of thousands of people in the northern part of the country.

Additionally, several thousand acres of crop lands, Aush seedbeds and vegetable fields have been submerged in the region, including Kurigram, Gaibandha and Bogura.

However, the Teesta was flowing 25 cm below the danger level at Barrage point around Wednesday noon.

In Kurigram

As the flood situation in the northern region worsened, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has opened 44 sluice gates of Teesta Barrage.

Water level of the Brahmaputra and the Dharla continues to rise, marooning about 1.5 lakh people in nine upazilas including Chilmari, Ulipur, Roumari, Rajibpur, Sadar and Nageshwari.

BWDB Executive Engineer of Kurigram Ariful Islam said around Wednesday noon, the Brahmaputra was flowing 53cm above the danger level at Chilmari point and 64cm at Nunkhawa point while the Dharla was flowing 43cm above the danger level at Bridge point.

Teesta Barrage gauge reader Nurul Islam said due to incessant rains and huge flow from the upstream, the water was flowing 25cm below the danger level on Wednesday afternoon.

In Gaibandha

Water level in the Brahmaputra, the Teesta and the Ghaghat rivers have increased in Gaibandha.

The Water Development Board said the Brahmaputra was flowing 64cm above the danger level at Teestamukh Ghat point and the Ghaghat River was flowing 53cm above the danger level at the new bridge point from 3 pm on Tuesday to Wednesday morning.

In Bogura

Meanwhile, crop lands have been submerged in some areas of Dhunat upazila of Bogura due to swelling water of the Jamuna.

BWDB Executive Engineer Mokhlesur Rahman said various points of the Flood Control Embankment and Gaibandha Town Protection Embankment were at risk of being damaged by the Brahmaputra. Necessary steps have been taken so that the dam is not damaged.

Deputy Assistant Engineer (Water Branch) ASM Aminur Rashid said as all the gates of the barrage were kept open, the low-lying areas were flooded and the houses were submerged.

Jyoti Prasad Ghosh, BWDB chief engineer of the northern region, said the floods in India affected Bangladesh as well.

"We have taken measures to build embankments to protect localities from erosion of the Teesta, the Dharla, the Saniajan, the Brahmaputra and the Dudh Kumar rivers."

In Netrokona

The flood situation in Netrokona has further improved. However, the misery of people in Kalmakanda Upazila town has increased as all the roads have been left muddy by the floods.

Meanwhile, at least 60 villages in Rangchhati, Kharnai and Bara Khapan unions are still submerged. Traffic has become risky as the Thakurakona-Kalmakanda road was damaged in many places.

Netrokona Water Development Board Executive Engineer Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman said at Kalmakanda point, the Someshwari was flowing 22cm below the danger level and the Ubdakhali was flowing below 110cm.