The flood situation deteriorated while water-logging improved as showering of seasonal rains reduced notably during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on Monday in the Brahmaputra basin, reports BSS.
Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said northern districts witnessed little rains at places during the last 24 hours after experiencing the season’s heaviest rains during the previous 24 hours ending at 9 am on Sunday.
The recorded rainfalls were 53mm at Kurigram and 52mm at Chilmari points during the last 24 hours ending at 9am Monday in the basin.
According to the BWDB’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre’s flood situation bulletin, water levels of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river systems are in rising trend except the Teesta, which may continue in next 48 hours in the Brahmaputra basin.
BWDB officials said water levels of the Jamuneswari further rose by 45cm at Badarganj, Kartoa by 49cm at Chak Rahimpur and Punorvoba by 41cm at Dinajpur points during the last 24 hours.
The Jamuneswari was flowing above the danger mark (DM) by 74cm at Badarganj, Kartoa by 53cm at Chak Rahimpur and Punorvoba by 10cm at Dinajpur points under Rangpur zone of BWDB at 9am Monday.
Besides, water levels of the Dharla rose by 4cm at Kurigram and Jamuna by 4cm at Sariakandi and were flowing above the DM by 34cm and 7cm at these points respectively at 9 am Monday.
Meanwhile, water levels of the Brahmaputra rose by 10cm at Noonkhawa and 8cm at Chilmari during the last 24 hours and were flowing below the DM by 69cm and 27cm at these points respectively at 9am Monday.
During the period, water levels of the Jamuna rose by 6cm at Fulchhari, 9cm at Bahadurabad, 2cm at Kazipur and remained steady at Sirajganj and were flowing below the DM by 25cm, 23cm, 6cm and 18cm at these points respectively at 9am Monday.
However, water levels of the Teesta fell by 23cm at Dalia and 16cm at Kawnia during the period and were flowing below the DM by 38cm and 33cm at these points respectively at 9am Monday.
Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said a flood situation is currently prevailing at low-lying areas of Rangpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts under Rangpur zone of BWDB.
“The situation might not deteriorate largely as the rate of onrushing hilly water from the upstream reduced with weakening of seasonal rains in the Brahmaputra basin from today,” Ghosh added.
Talking to BSS, Acting Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension for Rangpur region Md. Moniruzzaman said standing crops on 46,011 hectares of land have been submerged in all five districts under Rangpur agriculture region alone.
“However, the weather started improving from Sunday afternoon, logged-water were receding rapidly from inundated crop lands and the short-term inundation would not cause major damage to the submerged crops,” Moniruzzaman hoped.
Deputy Commissioner of Lalmonirhat Abu Jafar said the district administration continues distribution of already allocated 115 tonnes of rice and 810 packets of dry foods among flood affected people of the district.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) of Rangpur ATM Akhteruzzaman said the district administration continues distribution of 70 tonnes of rice, 400 packets of dry foods and Taka one lakh among affected people.
DRRO of Kurigram Md. Abdul Hye said the district administration continues distribution of already allocated 85 tonnes of rice, 2,000 packets of dry foods, Taka one lakh for baby foods and Taka four lakh for animal fodders among flood-affected people.