HAKA, July 1, 2022 (BSS) - Experts and officials are predicting longer 
duration of flood as major rivers and their tributaries in both Brahmaputra 
and Meghna basins are overflowing due to incessant rains. 
 
"Both northern and northeastern parts of Bangladesh this year witnessed 
severe flooding, which is the worst one since 2004... The devastating flood 
started on June 15 and it was getting improving trend after a weeklong wrath 
of the deluge," an official of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) 
told BSS.

But the flood situation in north and northwestern is getting worse again 
after swelling of major rivers as inside Bangladesh and upstream regions 
recorded heavy downpour in the past several days, said Md. Arifuzzaman 
Bhuyan, executive engineer of the FFWC.
 
Water levels at 61 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning 
Centre (FFWC) have marked rise while 41 stations recorded fall.
 
Among the 109 monitored river stations, seven have been registered steady 
while water levels at eight stations are flowing above the danger level, a 
bulletin issued by the FFWC said here today.
 
The Dharla at Kurigram, the Brahmaputra at Hatia, the Surma at Kanaighat, the 
Kushiyara at Amalshid and Sheola, the Old Surma at Derai, the Baulai at 
Khaliajuri and the Someswari at Kalmakanda are flowing above the danger level 
by 06cm, 21cm, 64cm, 84cm, 32cm, 17cm, 03cm and 38 cm respectively.
 
Significant rainfall was recorded at some stations in different districts 
during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today, the bulletin added.
 
A total of 122 mm (millimeter) rainfalls were recorded at Jariajanjail and 
53mm at Lalakhal (Sylhet).

Significant rainfalls (mm) recorded during last 24 hours in Sikkim, 
Arunachal, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura regions of North-East India, the 
bulletin added.

A total of 41mm rainfalls were recorded at Cherrapunji (Meghalaya), 109mm at 
Jalpaiguri (West Bangal) and 98 mm at Dibrugarh (Assam).

 Brahmaputa river is in steady state, while the Jamuna river is rising trend, 
the FFWC bulletin said adding that both the rivers may rise in next 24 hours.

The Ganges-Padma river is in rising trend, which may continue in next 48 
hours, it added. 

 Waterborne diseases are spreading in the flood-hit regions of Bangladesh as 
floodwater started receding.

 "Many people are suffering from diarrhoea, skin diseases, dysentery, cholera 
and other waterborne diseases," Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) 
sources said.

In the past 24 hours, a total of 487 people have been affected by diarrhoea 
in four flood-hit divisions -- Sylhet, Rangpur, Chattogram and Mymensingh -- 
while 72 people have also suffered from skin diseases, a press release issued 
by the DGHS said.
 
To provide healthcare supports to the flood affected regions of the country, 
as many as 2,048 medical teams have been working since beginning of the 
flood, it added.

 In Sylhet district, vast swathes of Sylhet region were hardly hit by 
devastating flood this year, officials and local people added.

Roughly five millions of people were marooned during the flood, they said 
adding: "A large of number of people still have been marooned by the 
floodwater."

Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Md Mojibor Rahman told BSS as many as 29,99,433 
people in the district have been affected by the ongoing flood while around 
40,000 people are still living at flood shelters. 
 
He said relief materials including rice, dry food, medicines, and drinking 
water are being distributed among the people in the flood-hit areas. 
 
In Sunamganj, nearly 30 lakh people have been badly affected by the 
devastating flood and the hard hit district is still reeling from the slow 
improvement of receding floodwater. Local administration as well as non-
government organizations is continuing relief operation for reducing 
suffering of flood victims. 

Monsoon rains and gushing waters from upstream India worsened Bangladesh 
flood situation with experts calling it one of the worst floods while 
millions of people have been affected by the deluge, the executive engineer 
of the FFWC said.

Northeastern and northern parts of Bangladesh may witness prolonged flood as 
record breaking rainfalls were recorded inside Bangladesh and upstream states 
of India during the ongoing flood situation.
 
"We have seen that both Bangladesh and upstream states of Meghalaya and Assam 
and western Himalayan regions of India recorded heavy rainfall, the highest 
over 100 years," Professor Md Mansur Rahman of Institute of Water and Flood 
Management of BUET said.

Major rivers and their tributaries of Bangladesh have no capacity to contain 
such huge volume of rains, which ultimately has caused massive flooding in 
northeastern and northern regions of the country, he added.

Mansur said there is a huge gap between Bangladesh and upstream regions of 
India in terms of elevation from sea level. "So, onrush of water enters 
Bangladesh with a faster pace, which inundated vast areas of the country in a 
shorter time," he added.

The hydrologist said a large number of embankments have been built in both 
Bangladesh and Indian regions to control flow of water of major rivers which 
are the main reasons for increasing frequency of flooding.

The ongoing flood in Meghna basin may prolong as "The only exit point of 
flood water is Bhairab at the Megna river will take much time to pass such 
huge volume of flood water into the Bay of Bangal... meaning flood in 
northeastern region is likely to be prolonged, if the heavy downpour 
continue."