Floodwater triggered by heavy rainfall and an onrush of water from upstream regions engulfed large swaths of northern and north-eastern districts creating havoc for the people living in low-lying areas.
Although the flood situation is improving slightly, people in flood-hit regions are facing immense suffering, as major rivers in the north and northern parts of the country are overflowing due to torrential rainfall, officials and residents told BSS.
FFWC Executive Engineer Sardar Udoy Raihan said, "Major rivers in the north and north-eastern regions are flowing at 21 stations above danger levels meaning receding of floodwater is slow, which will prolong the overall flood situation.”
As water levels of major rivers are on a rising trend, the flood situation is likely to linger in north, northern and other parts of Bangladesh, he added.
The hydrologist said the sufferings of people in the two northern districts - - Sylhet and Sunamganj - - are prolonging as the two north-eastern districts have been flooded for the third time exactly within one month at the very beginning of the onset of monsoon this year.
Nearly 20 lakh people in 15 districts have been affected by flood triggered by heavy rainfall and onrush of water this year, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Mohibbur Rahman said at a meeting on July 6.
"We have distributed adequate amount of relief material items including rice, dry food and cash incentives among flood-hit people in 15 districts of the country," he added"
According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, the flood-hit districts are Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrakona, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Rangpur, Jamalpur, Gaibandha, Feni, Rangamati, Bogura, Kurigram, Sirajganj, Lalmonirhat and Cox's Bazar.
The state minister said the government has allocated a total of 8,700 tonnes of rice, Tk 3.10 crore in cash, 58,500 sacks of dry food, Tk 60 lakh for baby food and Tk 60 lakh for fodder for flood-hit districts.
"There is a possibility of another spell of flood in August or September, Mohibbur said, adding, "We are taking preparation as per the directives of the prime minister."
All necessary items were given to the local lawmakers, deputy commissioners and upazila nirbahi officers as per their demand and there is no reason for lack of relief, he added.
According to the local administration, thousands of people have been marooned in several districts, including Sylhet, Sunamganj, Gaibandha and Kurigram districts, as floodwater submerged a large portion of the districts.
The first spell of flood affected thousands of people in 13 upazilas and municipalities of Sylhet district in late May, leaving a large number of people marooned.
In Gaibandha, the flood situation in the chars and Brahmaputra river basin areas at the eastern side of the flood control embankment in four upazilas of the district has deteriorated as the river is maintaining its rising trend this morning.
Many of the affected families have taken shelter on the flood control embankment with their belongings, including domestic animals and poultry birds, and they were passing miserable days because of a shortage of fodder.
Several villages of Saghata Upazila have been flooded as a portion of the flood control embankment in the Shashanghat area in Bharatkhali union of the upazila has been washed away due to pressure of the floodwater, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Isahaq Ali.
In Gaibandha, as many as 9,500 flood-hit families of four districts-- Gaibandha, Kurigram, Sirajganj and Jamalpur-- got cash assistance of Tk 1.51 crore from the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA), on Sunday.
According to Bangladesh Water Development Board, chars located in the eastern side and western-side river basins of the Jamuna River have been flooded due to incessant rain and hilly waters from upstream of India.
As a result, hundreds of people living in chars and river basins have been marooned and their sorrows knew no bounds.
Water levels at 53 river stations monitored by the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked a rise, while 54 stations recorded a fall.
Among the 110 monitored river stations, water levels at three stations have remained steady, while water levels at 21 stations are flowing above the danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said on Monday.
The Dudhkumar at Pateshwari (Kurigram), the Dharia river at Kurigram, the Ghagot river at Gaibandha, the Brahmaputra at Noonkhawa (Kurigram), at Hatia( Kurigram), at Chilmari (Kurigram), the Jamuna river at Fulchari, at Bahadurabad, at Saghata (Gaibnadha), at Sariakandi, at Kazipur (Serajganj), at Jagannathganj (Jamalpur), at Serajganj, at Porabari (Tangail), the Atrai at Baghabari (Serajganj), the Surma at Kanaighat (Sylhet), the Kushiyara river at Amalshid, at Sheola, at Markuli, the Someshwari at Kalmakanda and the Meghna at Meghna Bridge (Munshiganj ) are flowing 39cm, 29cm, 14cm, 43 cm, 45cm, 55cm, 63cm, 74cm, 52cm, 49cm, 112cm, 60 cm, 29cm, 08cm, 41cm, 57cm, 02cm, 26cm, 21cm, and 23 cm above the danger level respectively.
