The overall flood situation in the Ganges basin remained stable for the second consecutive day today as the water level in the rivers recorded either declining or rising conditions, reports BSS.
Of the 30 river points monitored in the Ganges basin on Thursday, water levels receded at 16 points, while increased at 10 points and remained steady at four points, according to data of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
However, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 29 points, while above the danger level at one point like the previous day.
“We recorded falling and rising trends in most rivers, including Korotoa, Atrai, Mohananda, Ganges, Padma and the downstream rivers and tributaries of the Ganges basin today,” Mukhlesur Rahman, superintending engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), told BSS on Thursday morning.
He said water level of the Ganges River remained steady at Pankha in Chapainawabganj, at Rajshahi and at Hardinge Bridge points, while declined by one Centimeter (cm) at Talbaria point at 9 am on Thursday.
Mukhlesur said the Ganges River was still flowing 204 cm, 213 cm, 153 cm and 125 cm below the danger level at Pankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria points respectively.
Water level of the Padma River increased by four cm further at Goalundo point and the river was flowing 33 cm below the danger level at the point on Thursday morning, he added.
Water level in the Korotoa River went up by 21 cm each at Chak Rahimpur and Bogura points further and the river was still flowing 267 cm and 297 cm below the danger level respectively on Thursday morning.
FFWC executive engineer Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said a rising trend has been recorded at all the six points of the Jamuna River for the second consecutive day on Thursday.
The water level went up by three cm, four cm and nine cm at Sariakandi in Bogura, at Kazipur point in Sirajganj and at Sirajganj point respectively.
The Jamuna River was flowing 101 cm, 85 cm and 96 cm below the danger level at Sariakandi, Kazipur and Sirajganj points respectively on Thursday morning.
Water level in Atrai River went up by one cm at Baghabari in Sirajganj and 15 cm at Mohadevpur in Naogaon district further, while receded by four cm at Atrai point on Thursday morning.
Of the 16 river points both in Ganges and Brahmaputra Basins, being monitored in many districts under Rajshahi division regularly, water levels went up at seven points, while declined at six points and remained stable at three points.
But the rivers were still flowing below the danger level at all the 16 points on Thursday morning.
Engineer Bhuiyan said the Brahmaputra-Jamuna and the Ganges-Padma rivers are in steady state, which may continue in next 24hours. All the major rivers of the country are flowing below their respective danger levels.
Meanwhile, the local administrations have been distributing relief materials in the worst-affected areas continuously since the flood began.
A number of 8.65 lakh people from 2.17 lakh families affected badly by the flood have, so far, received relief materials to mitigate their livelihood related hardships in different districts under Rajshahi division.
The government, as part of its instant humanitarian assistance to cope with the disastrous situation, had allocated 1,521 tonnes of rice, Taka 38.09 lakh in cash, 16,580 packets of dry-food, Taka 21 lakh for baby food and Taka 40 lakh for animal feed.
Moinul Islam, Additional Commissioner of Rajshahi division, said distribution of the allocated relief materials among the affected families in the division is at the final stage.
Apart from this, 2,239 tonnes of rice, Taka 37.41 lakh, 3,620 packets of dry food, Taka three lakh for baby food and Taka six lakh for animal feed remain in stock for distribution.
Simultaneously, the Department of Health has undertaken all possible measures to prevent any outbreak of water-borne diseases among the flood affected people amid the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Some 4,546 patients were recorded to be suffering from various water-related diseases and 23 deaths occurred mainly due to drowning and snakebite since July 1, sources said.