Flood situation deteriorates in Brahmaputra basin

The flood situation deteriorated in the Brahmaputra basin due to further rise in water levels of major rivers following onrush of water from the upstream Tuesday.

Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said the major rivers were flowing above their respective danger levels (DL) at eight points in Kurigram, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj districts around 9am.

The Dharla was flowing above the DL by 25cm at Kurigram and Brahmaputra by 37cm above the DL at Chilmari points in Kurigram district.

Besides, the Jamuna was flowing above the DL by 23cm at Fulchhari, 8cm at Shaghata, 30cm at Bahadurabad in Jamalpur, 42cm at Sariakandi in Bogura district and 43cm at Kazipur and 41cm above the DL at Sirajganj points.

Due to falls in water levels during the last 24 hours, the Teesta was flowing below the DL by 26cm at Kawnia point in Rangpur and 42cm at Dalia points respectively in Nilphamari 9am.

Chief Engineer for Rangpur zone of BWDB Engineer Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said water levels of major rivers might continue to rise during the next 48 hours to deteriorate the flood situation in the Brahmaputra basin.

“We have taken adequate preparedness to face any situation during possible floods in all eight districts of Rangpur division under BWDB’s Rangpur zone from where no incident of breaching of flood control embankments was reported so far,” he said.

To conduct repairing works and management of flood control embankments on an emergency basis when and where needed, all 12 divisions of three circles of BWBD’s Rangpur zone have taken all necessary preparations.

“We are continuing repair works of erosion-prone riverside banks and ready to do the same for flood control structures alongside the major rivers in Rangpur zone spending Tk  62 crore for the “season flood” this year,” Ghosh added.

BWDB’s Executive Engineers Mokhlesur Rahman for Gaibandha and Ariful Islam for Kurigram said all flood control embankments and structures are remaining safe in the two districts although some sporadic incidents of erosions were reported from few places. Executive Engineer of the Flood Forecasting and

Warning Center (FFWC) of BWDB at Dhaka, Engineer M Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said the Brahmaputra- Jamuna river systems were in rising trend which might continue in the next 48 hours in the Brahmaputra basin.

The major rainfalls recorded during the past 24 hours ending at 9 am  were 42mm each at Shillong and Jalpaiguri and 28mm at Tezpur points of the northwestern Indian states in the upstream.