Flood may worsen in four districts, remain steady in five
Flood situation may worsen in central districts of Manikganj and Rajbari, south-central Faridpur and northeastern district of Tangail as water levels of all rivers in Ganges-Padma basin and some in lower Brahmaputra basin were on a rising trend till 9:00am Wednesday and it may continue in the next 48 hours in Padma basin.
Padma was flowing 31cm above its danger mark (DM) at Goalanda point at 9:00am Wedndesday with 11cm rise in the last 24 hours while and it may cross its DM at Bhagyakul point in the next 24 hours, said a bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC).
Rivers in Padma basin flow through Rajbari and Faridpur and some parts of Manikganj district while rivers in Jamuna basin flow through Tangail and some parts of Manikganj.
The bulletin said water levels of Jamuna in Brahmaputra basin may cross its DM at Aricha point near the confluence of major two rivers — Padma and Jamuna — in the next 12 hours.
Water levels of all major rivers in upper Brahmaputra-Jamuna basin were marked steady and it may continue in the next 24 hours. So, flood situation in five northern and northeastern districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bagura, Sirajganj and Jamalpur in that basin is likely to remain steady, according to the bulletin.
In Meghna or Surma-Kushiyara basin, water levels in all rivers were marked fall in the last 24 hours and it may continue in next 72 hours, so the flood situation in northern districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj is likely to improve.
Thousands of people in 11 northern and northeastern districts including Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Bogura, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Tangail, Netrakona, Sylhet and Sunmganj have been bearing the spikes of floods due to the onrush of water from the upstream in two major Brahmaputra and Meghna basins in the last several days.
Water levels were flowing above danger marks (DM) at 14 points – 11 in Brahmaputra-Jamuna , three in Meghna or Surma-Kushiyara and one in Padma basin till 9:00am Wednesday as water levels at 53 river stations out of total 101, monitored by FFWC, have marked rise while 47 stations recorded fall and one other steady.
With the recession of water levels, sporadic erosion alongside the river banks occurred caused by the major rivers like Dharla, Ghaghot, Brahmaputra and Jamuna in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts.
Despite falls in their respective water levels during the period, the major rivers were flowing above the danger marks (DM) at 11 points of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Bogura, Sirajganj, Jamalpur and Tangail districts at 9:00am Wednesday.
The Brahmaputra was flowing 52cm above the DM at Noonkhawa and 63cm above the DM at Chilmari while Dharla 41cm above the DM at Kurigram and Ghagot was flowing 50cm above DM at Gaibandha point during that period.
The Jamuna was flowing 79cm above the DM at Fulchhari, 84cm above the DM at Bahadurabad, 67cm at Sariakandi, 70cm at Kazipur and 41cm at Sirajganj points at 900am Wednesday.
Another major river in the Brahmaputra basin Teesta marked a further fall by 13cm at Dalia point and was flowing 23cm below the DM at 9:00am on 1 July further improving the flood situation in Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts.
In that Brahmaputra basin, water levels in river Atrai was marked rise by 13cm flowing 34cm above its DM at Baghabari point, Dhaleshwari marked rise by 13cm flowing 32cm above its DM at Elasin at 9:00am on 1July.
In Meghna basin, river Surma was flowing 09 cm above its DM at Sunamganj point with 6cm fall while Old Surma was flowing 19cm above at Derai point with 1cm rise.
According to FFWC, recorded rainfalls were 117 millimeters at Silchar and 33mm at Gangtok in the northeastern Indian states in the upstream during the perioud.
In the downstream during that period, the recorded rainfalls were 175 mm at Chhatak, 121mm at Sunamganj, 120mm at Latu, 86 at Kanaighat, 70mm at Jakiganj and 48mm at Lalakhal stations.
Chief engineer for Rangpur zone of BWDB engineer Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said, “We are conducting riverbank protection works at 24 vulnerable points alongside the Dharla, Ghaghot, Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts.”
“Along with closely monitoring the flood situation round-the-clock, we are ready to take immediate steps to repair any damage or breached flood control structures on emergency basis anywhere though no such incidents occurred so far,” Ghosh added.
The flood situation in Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari continues improving while it may improve in Kurigram and Gaibandha in the next 48 hours.
“The water levels of the Brahmaputra and Jamuna are showing receding trends following sharp reduction in the rate of onrushing hilly water from the upstream in the northeastern Indian states during the past 72 hours,” Ghosh added.
Additional director of the eepartment of agricultural extension (DAE) for Rangpur region Muhammad Ali said floodwater has submerged standing crops on 11,006 hectares of land in Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha districts.