BSS, Rangpur
The flood situation continued improving during the last 24 hours ending at 9am on with sharp falls in water levels of major rivers in the Brahmaputra basin.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said water levels of major rivers marked sharp falls at all points and were flowing above the danger level (on Sunday at eight points in the basin.
Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Jyoti Prosad Ghosh on Sunday said that incidents of sporadic riverbank erosion have been reported from more areas alongside major rivers in Kurigram, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat districts. "Currently, riverbank protection works are continuing at several vulnerable points alongside major rivers in the Brahmaputra basin where the flood situation might continue improving during the next 72 hours," Ghosh added.
BWDB officials said water levels of the Dharla marked a fall by 17cm at Kurigram while Brahmaputra marked a sharp fall by 26cm at Chilmari points during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on Sunday.
The Dharla was still flowing above the DL by 44cm at Kurigram while
Brahmaputra by 17cm above the DL at Kurigram points at 9 am on Sunday.Besides, water levels of the Jamuna marked sharp falls by 23cm at Fulchhari and 18cm at Shaghata in Gaibandha, 25cm at Bahadurabad in Jamalpur, 15cm at Sariakandi, 10cm at Sirajganj and by 7cm at Kazipur points in Sirajganj during the period.
However, the Jamuna was still flowing above the DL by 25cm at Fulchhari and 12cm at Shaghata, 34cm at Bahadurabad, 53cm at Sariakandi, 60cm at Kazipur and 57cm at Sirajganj points at 9 am on Sunday.
The Brahmaputra was flowing below the DL by 41cm at Noonkhawa and 23cm at Hatia in Kurigram while Ghaghot by 4cm at Gaibandha while Teesta was flowing below the DL by 20cm at Dalia points in Nilphamari at 9.
Executive Engineer of BWDB for its Kurigram Division Ariful Islam said riverbank protection works are continuing at some vulnerable points alongside major rivers in the district.
Executive Engineer Mokhlesur Rahman for Gaibandha Division of BWDB said riverbank protection works are continuing at few vulnerable points alongside major rivers in the district. Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said floodwater has submerged standing crops on over 30,000 hectares of land in low-lying areas of Rangpur agriculture region alone till Saturday.
"The extent of crop damages would be less as floodwaters started receding in a shorter period from submerged croplands in Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat districts," said Additional Director of the DAE's Rangpur region Bidhu Bhusan Ray. Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md Zakir Hossain said the district administrations have further intensified relief activities in flood- affected districts of Rangpur division.
Distribution of Taka 3.50 lakh and 20 tonnes of rice among flood- affected people in Rangpur, 80 tonnes of rice and Taka eight lakh in Gaibandha and 280 tonnes of rice and Taka 12 lakh in Kurigram continues among flood-affected families.
Similarly, the district administrations are continuing relief activities in other flood-affected northern districts in the Brahmaputra basin where the flood situation continues impro ving rapidly.
