Flood may worsen in four districts, remain steady in five

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DHAKA, July 2, 2020 (BSS) – Flood situation may worsen in central
districts of Manikganj and Rajbari, south-central Faridpur and
northeastern district of Tangail as water levels of all rivers in
Ganges-Padma basin and some in lower Brahmaputra basin were on a
rising trend till 9am of today and it is likely to continue in next 48
hours in Padma basin.

Padma was flowing 39cm above its danger mark (DM) at Goalondo point
at 9am today with 8cm rise in the last 24 hours while and it may cross
its DM at Bhagyakul point in the next 24 hours, said a bulletin of the
Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC).

Rivers in Padma basin flow through Rajbari and Faridpur and some
parts of Manikganj district while rivers in Jamuna basin flow through
Tangail and some parts of Manikganj.

The bulletin said river Jamuna in Brahmaputra basin was flowing 3cm
above its DM at Aricha point near the confluence of major two rivers –
Padma and Jamuna – at 9an today.

Water levels of all major rivers in upper Brahmaputra basin were
marked fall and it may continue in the next 24 hours. So, flood
situation in five northern and northeastern districts of Kurigram,
Gaibandha, Bagura, Sirajganj and Jamalpur in that basin is likely to
remain steady, according to the bulletin.

In Meghna or Surma-Kushiyara basin, water levels in all rivers
except Surma were marked fall in the last 24 hours and it may continue
in next 72 hours but the heavy rainfall in Sylhet and Sunamganj
district in the last 24 hours may worsen the flood situation in
northern districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj as several thousand people
in Deria upazila have already marooned due to onrush of water from
upstream and the heavy rainfall in the last several days.

Thousands of people in 11 northern and northeastern districts
including Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Bogura,
Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Tangail, Netrakona, Sylhet and Sunmganj were
bearing the spikes of floods due to the onrush of water from the
upstream in two major Brahmaputra and Meghna basins in the last
several days.

Water levels were flowing above danger marks (DM) at 16 points – 12
in Brahmaputra-Jamuna, three in Meghna and one in Padma basin till 9am
of today as water levels at 54 river stations out of total 101,
monitored by FFWC, have marked rise while 45 stations recorded fall
and two other steady.

With the recession of water levels, sporadic erosion alongside the
river banks occurred 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 11 points
of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Bogura, Sirajganj, Jamalpur and
Tangail districts at 9am today.

The Brahmaputra was flowing 48cm above the DM at Noonkhawa and 56cm
above the DM at Chilmari points with fall 4cm and 7cm fall
respectively while Dharla 28cm above the DM at Kurigram and Ghagot was
flowing 38cm above DM at Gaibandha point with 13cm and 12cm fall
respectively during that period.

The Jamuna was flowing 75cm above the DM at Fulchhari, 78cm above
the DM at Bahadurabad, 63cm at Sariakandi, 60cm at Kazipur and 42cm at
Sirajganj points with 4cm, 6cm, 4cm, 10cm and 6cm fall at 9am today.

In that Brahmaputra basin, water levels in river Atrai was marked
rise by 9cm flowing 43cm above its DM at Baghabari point, Dhaleshwari
marked rise by 7cm flowing 39cm above its DM at Elasin at 9 am today.

In Meghna basin, river Surma was flowing 41 cm above its DM at
Kanaighat point with 46cm rise and 6cm above its DM at Sunamganj point
with 3cm fall while Old Surma was flowing 17cm above at Derai point
with 2cm fall at 9am today.

According to FFWC, recorded rainfalls were 110 millimeters at
Cherapunji and 73mm at Gangtok in the northeastern Indian states in
the upstream during the past 24 hours till 9am today.

In the downstream during that period, the recorded rainfalls were
266 mm at Chhatak, 140mm at Sylhet, 118mm at Lalakhal, 111mm at Dalia,
106mm at Sunamganj, 105mm at Kanaighat, 105 at Sherpur-Sylhet at 83 at
Jaflang stations.

In Brahmaputra basin, officials and staff of Bangladesh Water
Development Board (BWDB) are working to protect riverbanks at some 25
points following sporadic erosion caused by the major rivers of
Dharla, Ghaghot, Brahmaputra and Jamuna in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat,
Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts. “There is no report of breaching
of flood control embankments and structures anywhere in all eight
districts of Rangpur division,” Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of
BWDB Engineer Jyoti Prosad Ghosh told BSS at 3:30 pm.

“Along with closely monitoring flood situation and safety of flood
control structures, we have all preparations to repair any damage of
those on an emergency basis anywhere across the zone,” Ghosh said.

The flood situation continues improving with the recession of water
levels in the rivers Teesta and Dharla in Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari
while the same trend is likely in Kurigram and Gaibandha in the next
48 hours.

Our Jamalpur correspondent reports: though the water level in the
river Jamuna has receded but the overall flood situation in the
district remained unchanged.

District Relief and Rehabilitation Office sources said flood water
affected over 3.59 lac people in 319 villages in all the seven
upazilas of the district.

District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md Nayeb Ali said flood
caused damage to roads and houses and river erosion. He said 220
houses in Islampur and Dewanganj upazila have been devoured by the
river Jamuna. Besides, flood has damaged 48 km earthen road, seven km
carpeted road and 5,987 houses partially.

About 968 families comprising 4847 people took shelter in 26 flood
shelters in the district, he added.