The flash flood situation in the country’s north, northwest, northeast and mid regions has already reached alarming proportions due to heavy rain and onrush of upstream waters from India.
The water of the Jamuna river is flowing further downwards towards the central region. The water of Padma is also increasing. As a result, the waters of Padma and Jamuna at Goalanda, Aricha and Bhagyakul points are expected to overflow by Wednesday.
Water Development Board (WDB) Flood Forecasting and Warning Center Executive Engineer, Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said the water levels in all major rivers in the Meghna Basin will rise by Thursday.
Many houses and standing crops on farmlands have seriously been damaged by the floodwater.
The people in the northern regions are experiencing severe flooding following onrush of water from the river upstream across the border in the Indian states of Meghalaya and Assam, said FFWC officials.
Although local administrations said that they are providing shelter and help, locals say they spend their nights under the open sky clinging to whatever little belongings they could save from the swelling rivers.
Flooding has also been worsening in the region as it has been raining continuously in the north eastern districts of Bangladesh.
The water of Padma at Goalanda Point and the water of Jamuna will overflow at Aricha by Wednesday and the water of Padma at Bhagyakul will flow over the danger zone.
Meanwhile, the water of Teesta and Dharla has started decreasing. However, even if the Teesta water level falls below the danger level by Tuesday, the water level in Dharala will remain unchanged.
Earlier on Saturday, parts of Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Sunamganj and Sylhet districts were inundated by flood water.
According to the FFWC, flood situation in Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Netrokona, Sunamganj and Sylhet might improve to some extent.
The flood situation will further deteriorate in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Jamalpur, Sirajganj and Tangail districts. In Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Sylhet, Netrokona and Sunamganj districts, the situation may improve by Wednesday.
Moreover, fifty more char villages were inundated in Kurigram district on Tuesday as the flood situation worsened following rise of water levels in Dharla and Brahmaputra rivers .
Dharla and Brahmaputra rivers were flowing 61cm and 71cm above the danger level at Bridge point and Chilmari point respectively on Tuesday morning.
Over two lakh people in 55 unions and 357 villages in the district are affected by the flood.
Meanwhile, 30 kilometer long flood control embankments and 37 kilometer muddy road were damaged by flood in the district.
Over 500 houses eroded into the Brahmaputra and the Dharla rivers in the last two weeks.
Meanwhile, 50-meters of embankment at Nagrakura in Ulipur upazila was washed away by the Teesta river while another 15 spots of flood control dam were damaged.
Rangpur Divisional Water Development Board Chief Executive Engineer, Joty Prosad Ghosh said, “Water will keep increasing until July 5 and it may flow 1 meter above the danger level in the Brahmaputra River.”
Water in the Teesta and the Dharla rivers may flow over 50cm above the danger level, he added. Measures will be taken to stop river erosion, he said.
Meanwhile, over 3,500 hectares of croplands are under water, a huge loss to total crop production in the district, and several areas are under threat of erosion in the respective areas, said Masudur Rahman, deputy director of the local Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
The meteorological department has forecast light to moderate showers with thunderstorms in most parts of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet divisions and many parts of Chattogram division by Wednesday. At the same time, there may be moderate to heavy rains in some parts of the country.
