Flood situation deteriorated in the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today marooning some 63,000 people in low-lying char areas following onrush of huge floodwater from upstream in the Brahmaputra basin.
Kurigram district administration officials said 62,880 people of 15,720 families have been marooned in 185 flood-hit villages of 45 unions in the district where 1,640 houses have been eroded and 14,010 more houses damaged partially or totally so far.
“We have kept 275 water vessels standby for rescue operation and 361 flood-shelters ready to shelter 82,350 flood-hit people in all nine upazilas of the district,” Kurigram District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) Md Abdul Hye Sarker said.
Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said water levels of major rivers marked further rise and were flowing above danger marks (DM) at four points of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts at 9 am today.
The Dudhkumar was flowing above DM by 41cm at Pateshwari, Dharla by 21cm at Dharla Bridge and 12cm at Taluk Shimulbari points in Kurigram and Teesta above DM by 12cm at Dalia point in Nilphamari at 9 am today.
The Brahmaputra was flowing by only 5cm below DM at Hatia in Kurigram and Jamuna was flowing below DM by only 6cm at Fulchhari in Gaibandha, 4cm at Bahadurabad in Jamalpur and 15cm at Sariakandi points in Bogura at 9 am today.
Meanwhile, water level of the Teesta marked a fall by 7cm in the last three hours at Dalia point in Nilphamari to flow above DM by only 5cm at noon today.
According to a bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) of BWDB, the trend of heavy rainfall has lessened in the northern region and adjoining Indian states in the upstream in the next 24 hours.
Consequently, water levels of the Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers may fall and Brahmaputra may remain steady while the Jamuna may rise in the next 24 hours although the Brahmaputra and Jamuna are in rising trend.
“The flood situation in the low-lying areas of Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts may improve and may remain mostly unchanged in the low-lying areas Kurigram district in the next 24 hours,” the bulletin added.
Talking to BSS, Additional Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Md Mahbubur Rahman said we have taken early preparedness and geo-textile bags to use when and where necessary to save flood control embankments on an emergency basis.
“Repairing of vulnerable flood control embankments are now progressing fast at some 60 points in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Rangpur districts by the sides of major rivers in the zone,” Engineer Rahman said.
Rangpur District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) Md Motahar Hossain said the government has allocated 650 tonnes of rice and Taka 10 lakh in favour of the district administration to conduct relief operations in flood-hit areas.
“We have already started distribution of allocated rice, cash money and dry food among flood-hit people of Gangachara, Pirgachha and Kawnia upazilas in the district,” he said.
Kurigram DRRO Md Abdul Hye Sarker told BSS that the government has already allocated 650 tonnes of rice, Taka 10 lakh and 2,000 packets of dry food for conducting relief operations in the district.
“The district administration has already allocated 275 tonnes of rice, Taka 8.50 lakh and 300 packets of dry foods for distribution among flood-hit people of all nine flood-hit upazilas in the district,” he said.
Divisional Commissioner Md. Habibur Rahman said the government has launched relief operations for flood-hit people following inundation of low-lying areas in the affected districts in the Brahmaputra basin.
“The Deputy Commissioners, Upazila Nirbahi Officers, public representatives, disaster management committee members and BWDB officials are monitoring the flood situation and taking immediate steps when and where necessary in Rangpur division,” he said.
