80 schools closed due to flood in Gaibandha
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) office sources said with the rise of water level in the Brahmaputra the river was flowing 87 cm over the danger level at Fulchharighat point of the district this morning at 9am.
As many as 80 schools located at four upazilas of Gaibandha have been closed due to flood caused by incessant rain and hilly waters from the upstream of India.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) office sources said with the rise of water level in the Brahmaputra the river was flowing 87 cm over the danger level at Fulchharighat point of the district this morning at 9am.
As a result, the chars located at eastern side of the mighty river and river basins at western side under four Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari and Saghata upazilas here have been flooded.
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Subsequently, a total of 28,928 families of the upazilas have also been marooned.
Many affected families had taken shelter on the flood control embankment with their belongings including domestic animals.
The schools which are located in the chars under 24 unions of the upazilas went under waist deep water.
The schools which are located in the river basin areas are surrounded by flood water. Flood water also entered the school ground and the class rooms. At this moment, there is no environment to conduct academic activities for the students.
Taking the matter to cognisance, the authorities concerned declared the closure of 80 schools of the district.
Of them, 70 are primary schools and the rest are secondary schools.
District Education Officer Rokshana Begum and district Primary Education Officer Md Shahidul Islam confirmed it.
They also suspected that number of the closed schools might increase more because the district administration has prepared 181 schools as permanent and temporary flood shelter centres though no flood victim has taken shelter in the centres till filing of this report at 4pm.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kazi Nahid Rasul said all kinds of preparations have been taken by the district and upazila administrations to deal with the flood situation properly.
Dry food and rice are being distributed to the flood affected people of the upazilas at the initiative of the administration to mitigate the sufferings caused by flood, she added.
