Incessant rain upstream may cause floods in the haor

Bangladesh meteorological department forecasted that the ongoing rain in different places of the country would continue for the next few days. The govt's flood forecast and warning centre has said that more than rains within the country, there will be rains upstream on the Indian side. It may result in flood in the haor areas by the end of this week.

Experts, however, believe the flood this year may bring fortune as most of the paddy of the haor area has been already harvested, as per the Department of Agricultural Extension.

Flood water will not do much damage now. On the contrary, the water of the river will bring new life to the fishery there. If the floodwaters enter Moulvibazar and Sunamganj towns, it will only create some misery. However, the flood forecasting and warning centre hopes this stream will not last for more than two or three days.

Meanwhile, heavy rains have started in Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura in India. Darjeeling recorded 85mm of rainfall last Sunday. Heavy rain was also forecasted there on Monday. Meanwhile, rain has started in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar coasts inside the country. It is expected that the heavy downpour will start coming downstream from next Wednesday. This could lead to sudden flooding of several rivers in the haor areas of the country including Sylhet and Mymensingh. In particular, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar have the highest risk of floods, according to the Centre for Flood Forecasting and Warning.

According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre’s 15 May forecast, water levels in rivers in the northeastern part of the country, including Surma and Kushiara, could exceed the danger level. This can cause sudden floods in the riparian areas of those rivers. There may be continuous rain for the next few days. This may increase the water level of several rivers including Teesta and Dharla in the northern rivers. However, the water level is less likely to go above the danger line.

Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer of the flood forecasting and warning centre, told Prothom Alo, the water in the rivers is low due to less rain for three consecutive months. As a result, the water level in the river may not rise above the danger line due to incessant rains in the next few days. The downpour and rains may cause flood in some parts of the haor area. But the natural floods that occur every year in the northern region are not expected to occur before June.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agricultural Extension said that due to high temperatures, paddy has ripened a week earlier than usual in most parts of the country. As the rains have not started yet, the farmers have started cutting the paddy quickly. In previous years, not more than 40 per cent paddy was harvested in May. This time, 75 per cent of Boro paddy has already been harvested.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said that the floods in the Brahmaputra Basin through the northern part of the country are not likely to start as early as last year. As a result, it is expected to harvest the paddy before the flood arrives in the northern region. The floods started from the end of May last year and lasted for two months.

The director general of Department of Agricultural Extension, Md Asadullam told Prothom Alo, “We are insisting and assisting farmers to harvest with the help of machines to quicken the process. We hope the harvesting will finish before flood starts in the northern region.”