RANGPUR, Sept 2, 2021 (BSS) - The flood situation deteriorated further due to continuous rise in water levels of major rivers during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today inundating fresh low-lying areas of five northern districts in the Brahmaputra basin.
 

Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said major rivers were flowing above their respective danger levels (DL) at ten points today due to unremitting onrush of water from the upstream in India amid torrential rains at places.

The Brahmaputra was flowing above its DL by 49cm at Chilmari and 10cm at Hatia and Dharla by 7cm at Kurigram points in Kurigram while Ghaghot was flowing above the DL by 16cm at Gaibandha point at 9 am today.

The Jamuna was flowing above the DL by 48cm at Fulchhari and 29cm at Shaghata points in Gaibandha, 59cm at Bahadurabad in Jamalpur, 63cm at Sariakandi in Bogura, 58cm at Kazipur and 59cm at Sirajganj points in Sirajganj at 9 am today.

According to a bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) of BWDB, the recorded rainfalls during the last 24 hours were 184mm at Jalpaiguri, 66mm at Tezpur and 28mm at Darjeeling points of the northwestern Indian states.

Besides, the recorded rainfalls during the same period were 92mm at Dalia, 72mm

at Rangpur, 64mm at Kawnia and 55mm at Thakurgaon points in the upper Brahmaputra basin today.   
 
As the heavy rainfall continues in the upper catchment areas and the downstream as well, water levels of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river systems may continue to rise further during the next 24 hours.

“The flood situation at low lying places of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra and Sirajganj districts in the upper Brahmaputra basin may deteriorate further during the next 24 hours,” the bulletin said.

Talking to BSS, Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Engineer Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said water levels of the major rivers and tributaries are continuing to rise at almost all points in the Brahmaputra basin.

“Alongside 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 an emergency basis in Rangpur division,” Ghosh said.

Meanwhile, riverbank protection works are continuing at some erosion-prone and vulnerable points to check erosion.

Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md Zakir Hossain said, “We are closely monitoring the situation and taking steps to shift marooned people to safer places and distributing relief goods among flood-hit people in Rangpur division.”

District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) of Rangpur ATM Akhteruzzaman said the district administration has allocated Taka 3.50 lakh and 20 tonnes of rice and those are being distributed among flood-affected and erosion-hit people.

Kurigram DRRO Abdul Hye Sarker said distribution of 280 tonnes of rice and Taka 12 lakh allocated by the district administration continues among flood-hit people in the district.

Gaibandha DRRO Idris Ali said the district administration has allocated 80 tonnes of rice and Taka two lakh in favour of the upazila administrations for distribution among flood-hit people in the district.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said floodwater has so far submerged standing crops on 26,421 hectares of land in low-lying areas of Rangpur agriculture region alone till Wednesday.

The submerged standing crops include Aman rice on 26,001 hectares of land, Aman seedbeds on 115 hectares and vegetables on 305 hectares of land in Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat districts.