Flood situation deteriorated during the last 24 hours ending at 9:00am Saturday inundating fresh low-lying and char areas due to monsoon rains and onrushing water from upstream in the Brahmaputra basin.
Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said water levels of major rivers marked further rise and were flowing above danger level at eight points of Kurigram, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj districts in the basin at 9:00am.
The Dudhkumar River was flowing 23cm above danger mark at Pateshwari while Dharla 22cm at Kurigram, Brahmaputra 70cm at Hatia and 5cm at Chilmari in Kurigram and 16cm above danger mark at Phulchhari points in Gaibandha this morning.
Besides, the Jamuna River was flowing 14cm above danger mark at Bahadurabad in Jamalpur, 17cm at Sariakandi in Bogura and 3cm at Kazipur points in Sirajganj districts at the time.
During the last 24 hours, water levels of the Dudhkumar further rose by 14cm at Pateshwari, Dharla by 13cm at Kurigram and Ghagot by 42cm at Gaibandha points in the Brahmaputra basin.
Water levels of the Brahmaputra also rose by 13cm at Noonkhawa, 10cm at Hatia and 17cm at Chilmari and the Jamuna rose by 20cm at Phulchhari, 30cm at Shaghata, 38cm at Bahadurabad, 40cm at Sariakandi, 33cm at Kazipur and 38cm at Sirajganj points.
"Meanwhile, water level of the Teesta marked a fall by 30cm during the last 24 hours at Dalia point in Nilphamari to flow 25cm below its danger mark at 9:00am today (Saturday)," said Executive Engineer of the Teesta Barrage division of BWDB Md Asfauddulla.
According to a bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) of BWDB, there is a possibility of medium to heavy rainfall at some places of the country's northern and north-eastern regions along with adjoining states of Assam, Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal of India in the next 72 hours.
As a result, the Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Teesta, Dharla, Dudhkumar and other major rivers may continue rising in the next 48 hours.
"In the next 24 hours, the flood situation may deteriorate in the low-lying areas of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogura, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Rangpur districts in the Brahmaputra basin," the bulletin added.
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Talking to BSS, Additional Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Engineer Muhammad Amirul Haque Bhuiyan said adequate early preparedness have been taken to face any situation during floods in all eight districts of Rangpur division under the zone.
"All 12 divisions under three circles of BWBD's Rangpur Zone have adequate geo-textile bags to use whenever and wherever necessary to save flood control embankments and other devices on an emergency basis," he said.
Repairing of flood control embankments and other devices are now progressing at several points by the sides of major rivers in the zone, Bhuiyan said.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) Md Motahar Hossain said the district administration has already allocated 25 tonnes of rice and Tk 1 lakh for distribution among flood-hit people of Gangachara upazila.
"Besides, 20 tonnes of rice has been allocated in advance for distribution among flood-affected people when and where necessary in flood-prone Kawnia, Pirgachha and Mithapukur upazilas of the district," he added.
Kurigram DRRO Abdul Hye Sarker said the district administration has already allocated 295 tonnes of rice, Tk 14.50 lakh and 1,000 packets of dry foods for distribution among people of all nine flood-hit upazilas in the district.
"Besides, the district administration has allocated Tk 18.95 lakh for distribution of baby foods and Tk 17.75 lakh for fodders of cattle heads of flood affected people of Kurigram district," he added.
Divisional Commissioner Md Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan said the government has launched relief operations for flood affected people following inundation of low-lying areas in the affected districts in the upper Brahmaputra basin.
"The deputy commissioners, upazila nirbahi officers, public representatives, disaster management committee members and BWDB officials are monitoring the flood situation to take immediate steps in Rangpur division," he said.
