RANGPUR, July 1, 2020 (BSS) – Water levels of the major rivers continued receding making little improvement in the overall flood situation during the last 24 hours ending at 9am today in the northern districts on the Brahmaputra basin.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Officials said the rate of onrushing water from the upstream in neighbouring India is decreasing and the trend might persist in the next 24 hours in the basin.
With the recession of water levels, sporadic erosion alongside the river banks is being caused by the major rivers like Dharla, Ghaghot, Brahmaputra and Jamuna in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts.
Despite falls in their respective water levels during the period, the major rivers were flowing above the danger marks (DM) at nine points of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj districts at 9am today.
The Brahmaputra was flowing 52cm above the DM at Noonkhawa and 63cm above the DM at Chilmari while Dharla 41cm above the DM at Kurigram and Ghagot 50cm above the DM at Gaibandha points at the same time.
The Jamuna was flowing 79cm above the DM at Fulchhari, 84cm above the DM at Bahadurabad, 67cm at Sariakandi, 70cm at Kazipur and 41cm at Sirajganj points at 9am today.
Meanwhile, the Teesta marked a further fall during the last 24 hours by 13cm at Dalia point and was flowing 23cm below the DM there at 9am today further improving the flood situation in Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts.
Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Engineer Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said, “We are conducting riverbank protection works at 24 vulnerable points alongside the Dharla, Ghaghot, Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts.”
“Along with closely monitoring the flood situation round the clock, we are ready to take immediate steps to repair any damage or breached flood control structures on emergency basis anywhere though no such incidents occurred so far,” Ghosh added.
The flood situation in Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari continues improving while the same may start improving in Kurigram and Gaibandha in the next 48 hours.
“The water levels of the Brahmaputra and Jamuna are showing receding trends following sharp reduction in the rate of onrushing hilly water from the upstream in the northeastern Indian states during the past 72 hours,” Ghosh added.
Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for Rangpur region Muhammad Ali said floodwater has submerged standing crops on 11,006 hectares of land in Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha districts.
Kurigram District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) Dilip Kumar Saha said distribution of 302 tonnes of rice and Taka 36.50 lakh continues among 66,016 people of 16,100 flood-affected families in all nine upazilas of the district.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officers (DRRO) for Gaibandha Moazzem Hossain said distribution of 210 tonnes of rice and Taka 11.50 lakh continues among over 1.20 lakh people of 30,361 flood-affected families of four upazilas in the district.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md. Zakir Hossain said the district and upazila administrations are continuing with the relief activities among the affected people in the flood-hit districts of Nilphamari, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha districts.