Water level in Ganges basin continues to swell

Water level in many of the rivers in Ganges basin has been swelling continuously for the last couple of days because of onrushing of floodwater from upstream hilly catchment areas caused by heavy downpour.

Local office of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has further recorded a surging trend at most of the rivers like Ganges at Pankha in Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria and Padma at Goalunda and most of its down streaming rivers and tributaries this morning.

Water level in the Ganges river went up by five centimetre (cm) at Pankha in Chapainawabganj, two cm at Rajshahi and four cm each at Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria points in the past 24 hours ending at 9:00am today (Friday), superintending engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Mukhlesur Rahman told BSS.

However, the Ganges river was flowing 169 cm, 185 cm, 106 cm and 78 cm below the danger levels at Pankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria points respectively, while water level in the Padma River went up by three cm afresh at Goalundo point and the river was flowing 29 cm above the danger level at the point this morning, engineer Mukhlesur Rahman added.

A total of 30 river points monitored in the Ganges basin today, water levels went up at 19 points, while receded at 10 points and remained stable at one point.

Apart from this, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 25 points, while above the danger level at five points.

Water level of the Korotoa river further declined by six cm and 15 cm at Chak Rahimpur and at Bogura points respectively and the river was flowing 245 cm and 335 cm below the danger level at the two points respectively this morning.

On the other hand, the local BWDB office has recorded a further falling trend at all the three points of the Jamuna river today. The water level declined by three cm at Sariakandi in Bogura, four cm at Kazipur in Sirajganj and one cm at Sirajganj points.

Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), said the Jamuna river was still flowing nine cm and eight cm below the danger level at Kazipur and at Sirajganj points respectively.

The Gur river was flowing 14 cm below the danger level at Singra in Natore with a seven cm fall afresh while the Atrai river was flowing 12 cm above the danger level at Baghabari in Sirajgonj point with a four cm rise in the last 24 hours.

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 five points, while declined at 11 points this morning.

However, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 14 points, while above the danger mark at one point during the period.

Meanwhile, additional divisional commissioner Moinul Islam said the district and upazila administrations with the local public representatives have been distributing relief materials in the worst-affected areas continuously since the flood situation began.

Around 216,000 worst-affected families consisting around 900,000 people have, so far, received relief materials to overcome their livelihood related hardships caused by the flood in different districts under Rajshahi division.

The government, as part of its instant humanitarian support to cope with the disastrous situation, has disbursed 1,507 tonnes of rice, Tk 3.142 million in cash, 16,124 packets of dry-food, Tk 2.1 million for baby food and Tk 3 million for animal feed among the marooned people in the division.

Moinul Islam said there are more other relief materials like 2,172.58 tonnes of rice, Tk 4.108 million, 4,076 packets of dry food, Tk 300,000 for baby food and Tk 800,000 for animal feed remained in stock for distribution among the affected people.

Simultaneously, the health department has undertaken all possible measures to prevent any outbreak of water-borne diseases among the affected people amid recession of the floodwater.

Some 3,426 patients were recorded to be suffering from various water-related diseases and 17 deaths occurred mainly caused by drowning and snakebite since 1 July, the sources also said.