Flood situation has worsened in five northern districts despite little reduction in the rate of onrushing water from upstream in the last 24 hours marooning over two lakh people so far in the Brahmaputra basin.
Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said major rivers were flowing above danger marks at 10 points of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj districts at 9:00am Tuesday.
Water levels of major rivers marked rises at a comparatively lower rate during the last 24 hours inundating some fresh low-lying areas.
The Dharla was flowing above danger marks by 42cm at Kurigram and Ghagot by 37cm at Gaibandha points during the same period.
The Brahmaputra was flowing above danger marks by 23cm at Noonkhawa, 107cm at Hatia, 57cm at Chilmari and 58cm at Phulchhari points.
The Jamuna was flowing above danger marks by 55cm at Bahadurabad, 59cm at Sariakandi, 50cm at Kazipur and 49cm at Sirajganj points.
Due to falls in water levels during the last 24 hours, the Dudhkumar was flowing below danger marks by 16cm at Pateshwari and Teesta was flowing at its danger marks at Dalia and below danger marks by 10cm at Kawnia points.
According to a bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) of BWDB, the recorded rainfall during the last 24 hours ending at 9:00am was 164mm at Cherrapunji and 57mm at Pasighat points of the north-western Indian states.
There are less possibly of heavy rainfall inside Bangladesh and different adjoining Indian states in upstream regions during the next 24 hours.
"Flood situation in Kurigram, Gaibandha and Jamalpur districts may remain steady while in Bogura, Sirajganj and Tangail districts may deteriorate slightly in the next 24 hours," the bulletin added.
Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Muhammad Amirul Haque Bhuiyan and his senior officials are regularly visiting flood-hit areas and monitoring the situation alongside major rivers in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts.
"Flood control embankments and structures are remaining safe in Rangpur zone of the BWDB across Rangpur division," Engineer Bhuiyan said.
Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension for Rangpur region Md Emdad Hossain Sheikh said floodwater has so far submerged standing crops on 15,697 hectares of land in low-lying areas of Rangpur agriculture region alone.
The submerged standing crops include Aman paddy seedbeds on 503 hectares of land, vegetables on 1,559 hectares, Aush paddy on 3,016 hectares, groundnut on
138 hectares, jute on 10,083 hectares, and other crops on 3,958 hectares of land.
"The inundated crops would not be damaged if the floodwater receded within three to four days," he said, adding that steps are being taken to face the situation.
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District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) of the flood-hit Kurigram district Abdul Hye Sarker said deluge situation is still deteriorating but at lower rate following reduction in the rate of onrushing water from upstream since Monday.
"As many as 1,41,612 people of 3,54,400 families in 319 villages of 49 unions under all nine upazilas in the district have so far been marooned during the current deluge," he said.
The district administration through all nine upazila administrations and public representatives continues distributing 338 tonnes of rice, Tk 16.50 lakh and 1,000 packets of dry foods among flood-hit people of the badly- affected flood-hit district.
Besides, distribution of baby foods worth Tk 18 lakh and fodders of cattle heads worth Tk 17.75 lakh also continues among flood affected people of the district where 85 medical teams are providing health services to the flood-hit people.
"Due to floods, academic activities have been suspended at 325 educational institutions, including 294 primary schools, 23 secondary school, seven madrasas and a college in the district," the DRRO added.
Divisional Commissioner Md Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan said rescue and relief operations are continuing in the affected areas to assist flood-hit people in deluge-affected districts of Rangpur division.
