Flood situation improves further in Brahmaputra basin

The flood situation improved further during the last 24 hours ending at 9:00am Saturday amid incidents of sporadic riverbank erosion due to stronger current with sharp fall in water levels of major rivers in the Brahmaputra basin, reports BSS.

Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said major rivers were flowing well below the danger mark at all monitoring points in eight deluge-affected northern districts where many displaced people already returned homes.

Meanwhile, the government through the district administrations has further intensified relief activities in flood affected areas of Rangpur, Nilphamari,Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj districts in the basin.

Talking to BSS today, chief engineer for Rangpur zone of BWDB Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said incidents of sporadic riverbank erosion have been reported from around 55 points alongside the major rivers in Kurigram, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat districts.

“All flood control embankments and structures are remaining safe under the BWDB’s Rangpur zone where riverbank protection works continuing at some 50 points and the same will begin at other vulnerable points soon,” he said.

Following further sharp falls in their water levels, the Brahmaputra was flowing below its danger mark by 110 cm at Noonkhawa and 66 cm at Chilmari while Dharla by 99 cm at Kurigram and Ghaghot by 36 cm at Gaibandha points and the Jamuna was flowing below its danger mark by 47 cm at Fulchhari, 42 cm at Bahadurabad, 20 cm at Sariakandi, 31 cm at Kazipur and 13 cm at Sirajganj points at 9:00am Saturday.

The Teesta was flowing below the danger mark by 30 cm at Dalia point in Nilphamari and 49 cm at Kawnia point in Rangpur while Karota was flowing below the danger mark by 87 cm at Chak Rahimpur point during the same period.

Talking to BSS, executive engineer of BWDB for its Kurigram division Ariful Islam said riverbank protection works are continuing at 35 vulnerable points alongside major rivers in the district.

Executive engineer Mokhlesur Rahman for Gaibandha division of BWDB said riverbank protection works are continuing at some 15 six points and will begin the same at few other vulnerable points soon alongside major rivers in the district.

District relief and rehabilitation officer (DRRO) of Gaibandha Moazzem Hossain said distribution of 545 tonnes of rice, Taka 1.35 million, 7,650 packets of dry foods, Taka 600,000 for baby foods and Taka 1.2 million for animal fodders continues among 250,000 flood-hit people in the district.

Kurigram DRRO Abdul Hye Sarker said distribution of 300 tonnes of rice, Taka 1.3 million, 8,000 packets of dry foods, Taka 600,000 for baby foods and Taka 900,000 for animal fodders continues among over 250,000 flood-affected people in the district.

Similarly, the government continues relief activities in other flood-affected northern districts in the Brahmaputra basin where normalcy started returning with continuous improvement of the flood situation.

Talking to BSS today, divisional director (health) Amin Ahmed Khan said a total of 713 medical teams have been extending health and medicare services to the flood-affected people in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the division.