Over 2-lakh homeless as flood worsens in Northern region

Over two lakh people have remained homeless in Kurigram alone as flood situation in Northern region deteriorated further due to swelling of major rivers caused by an onrush of water from the hills and incessant showers.

According to Water Development Board, the Brahmaputra River was flowing 55cm and 23cm above the danger mark at Chilmari and Nunkhaoya points, respectively, while the Dharla River was flowing 42cm above the red level at Setu point on Tuesday morning.

Abdullah Al Mamun, executive engineer of Kurigram Water Development Board said the flood situation may worsen further in the region.

According to health department sources, two children drowned in Rowmari and Ulipur upazilas, respectively, on Saturday.

The deceased were identified as Maksuda Jannat, 11, daughter of Maidul Islam of Jamuna Sarkarpara village in Ulipur upazila, and Khalilur Rahman, one-and-a-half year-old son of Khalilur Rahman of Jadur Char union in Rowmari upazila.

Some 65 medical teams have been formed in the district to aid the flood victims, said civil surgeon Dr Md. Manzoor A Morshed.

Besides, nine monitoring teams have also been formed in nine upazilas, he added.

The low-lying areas of the district went under water while 141 educational institutions have been shut down temporarily due to the floods, said Abdul Hai Sarkar, district relief and rehabilitation officer in charge of the flood control room.

As many as 284 villages in nine upazilas of the district have been flooded as major rivers continue to swell, he added.

Abdur Rashid, deputy director of Kurigram Department of Agriculture Extension, said some 13,711 hectares of land have been submerged and the sufferings of the flood-hit people have intensified due to the shortage of food and pure drinking water.

Deputy commissioner Mohammad Rezaul Karim said Tk 16.5 lakh in cash, 338 metric tonnes of rice and 1,000 packets of dry food have been distributed among the flood-affected people in the district. “We have Tk 20 lakh in cash and 407 metric tonnes of rice in stock,” he said.

Besides, baby food worth over Tk 18 lakh and cow feed worth nearly Tk 18 lakh are being purchased, he said. “A control room has been opened in the deputy commissioner’s office.”

Overall flood situation in chars and river basin areas of the Brahmaputra River at four upazilas in Gaibandha deteriorated further as the Brahmaputra marked rise more in the last 24 hours till Tuesday morning.

The officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) here said the water level of the river Brahmaputra rose by 7 cm during the period and it was flowing 11cm above its danger level at Fulchharighat point of the district.

The Ghagot which was flowing through the mainland of the district rose by 2 cm during the period and was flowing 37 cm over its danger mark at New Bridge Road point of the district town this morning, sources added.

With the rise of water level in the Brahmaputra and the Teesta, the chars and the river basin areas including mainland of 32 unions of Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari and Saghata upazila had been submerged.

A total of 40,000 people of the unions of the upazilas have been marooned, said deputy collector and acting district relief and rehabilitation officer SM. Foyez Uddin.

Many flood affected people of the upazilas took shelter at 14 flood shelter centres with their movable assets including domestic animals and poultry birds till Sunday noon, he also said.

Due to the flood, over 1324 hectares of land of standing crops particularly T-Aus paddy, Aman seed bed, jute and summer vegetables went under flood water, said deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension Belal Uddin.

More than 50 government primary schools of the upazilas had been closed and the academic activities had also been suspended there temporarily as the flood water entered the schools, said M. Hossain Ali, district primary education officer.

Executive engineer of BWDB Abu Raihan said leakage was also found at different spots of the flood control embankment and maintenance works are being done at the vulnerable points of the embankment through filling up earth and sand bags on urgent basis.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Oliur Rahman said 80 metric tons of rice and TK 6 lakh had already been allotted for the flood and erosion victims so far on behalf of the district administration.