Flood hits nine districts, more areas could become inundated
Active monsoon and onrush of water from upstream inundate nine districts so far, and new areas are expected to flood as the major rivers keep swelling
Floods have ripped through nine north eastern and northern districts because of heavy rainfall and the onrush of water from upstream.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said the water may inundate low-lying areas of 18 to 20 districts as major rivers keep swelling.
The disaster hit the country at a time when it has already been battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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The inundated districts are Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Bogura and Dinajpur in the northern region, and India bordering Sunamganj and Habiganj in the north eastern part of the country.
Of them, the flood situation in Sunamganj has deteriorated due to heavy rainfall and the onrush of water from the hills. At least 300 homes at the district headquarters have been submerged, and the local administration has urged people to shift to nearby flood shelters.
More than a hundred villages of eight unions under Kalmakanda upazila in Netrakona have been submerged due to water coming in from the hills upstream and due to incessant rain.
The waters of the Udbakhali, Mangaleswari and Goneswari rivers is flowing near the danger level.
Besides, several rivers in the northern region have been flowing above the danger level due to excessive rainfall in India. Several thousand people of seven northern districts have become marooned.
The Jamuna River in Bogura is flowing seven centimeters above the danger level.
The Business Standard correspondents report in detail.
Sunamganj
The district Water Development Board said the Surma river in Sunamganj was flowing 70 centimeters above danger level on Sunday morning. The local rivers keep swelling due to heavy rainfall and onrush of water from the hills.
Many houses at the district headquarters were submerged on Sunday. Flood water was stagnant as the almost filled up drainage network could not channel the water out.
Educational institutions at Sunamganj municipality and other upazilas of the district have been turned into temporary flood shelters. At least 1,143 people took shelter in 165 flood centers as of Sunday afternoon.
The district deputy commissioner Mohammad Abdul Ahad distributed relief food at the municipality centers.
"We have allocated 410 tonnes of rice and Tk29 lakh in cash in response to the emergency. People at the centers have been asked to maintain health safety," he told the press.
Netrakona
The four major rivers of Kalmakanda are flowing above danger level. The overflowing water from the Ubdakhali River has entered Kalmakanda upazila Parishad Chattar, Purbhobhazar of the upazila Sadar, Chanpur Road, Shibh Mandir Road, Stadium Road, Muktir Nagar, Thana Road and the Monthola area. Almost all government office buildings in the upazila are now under water.
Meanwhile, all the villages of the eight unions of the upazila have been inundated more or less. Borokhapon, Kharnoi, Sadar and Rongchhati unions are the worst hit.
Hadisuzzaman Talukdar, chairman of Borokhapon union, said, "28 villages under the union have been submerged. Gutura-Jatrabari, Borokhapon-Keshobpur, Udoypur-Jatrabari, Rika-Boroiundo and Chouhatta-Keshobpur roads are under water now."
Obaidul Haque, Kharnoi union chairman, said at least 20 villages out of 38 of the union are flooded. Different parts of Gojarmari-Kharnoi, Bousam-Gojarmari and Kochugora-Hajongpara border roads have been submerged while some sections of the roads are facing severe erosion.
Md Akteruzzaman, executive engineer of the WDB in Netrakona, said, "the Someswari, Kangsha and Ubdakhali rivers are still flowing below the danger level. But the swelling of the Kangsha is continuing."
Sohel Rana, Kalmakanda upazila nirbahi officer, said, "Three-fourths of the areas in the upazila have been flooded."
Water increases in seven northern districts
Hundreds of people in several northern districts have been marooned as several rivers there are flowing above danger level.
Md Mahbubur Rahman, executive engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDA) in Bogura, said the Jamuna River was flowing seven centimeters above the danger level at Sariakandi Point in the district.
The Teesta and the Brahmaputra have crossed the danger level in Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat.
The flood control room of the Kurigram Water Development Board said both the Dharla and the Dudhkumar rivers were flowing 71 centimeters and 60 centimeters above the danger level respectively on Sunday afternoon.
Meantime, the Brahmaputra river in Chilmari upazila of the district was flowing 72 centimeters over the danger limit.
According to the Kurigram district administration, floods have marooned 47 unions of nine upazilas in the district so far. A 600-meter stretch of embankment and crops on 695 hectares of land became damaged as of Sunday.
The district administration distributed 302.72 tonnes of rice and Tk36.68 lakh cash among flood-affected people.
Flood water may further increase in Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Bogura and Dinajpur in the next two weeks.
Within the next one week, at least five rivers may overflow into the neighbouring districts. The Brahmaputra, the Jamuna, the Teesta, the Padma, the Atrai and the rivers of Haor areas may cross the danger level.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, water is increasing at 78 points out of 102 points of different rivers across the country. The water level in the Teesta and the Brahmaputra is increasing rapidly. The water level in the Padma may flow above the danger level within 48 hours.
Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, said, "200-300 millimeters of rainfall occurred daily upstream of India's Assam, Cherrapunji, Meghalaya and the foothills of the Himalayas. The onrush of water from upstream and the increasing rainfall inside Bangladesh have led to the increase of water in the rivers."
