Flood forces 360 schools into closure [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Flood forces 360 schools into closure

Local July 03, 2017

The deteriorating flood situation on Sunday forced authorities to suspend classes at 360 educational institutions in three of the five flood affected districts until the situation improves.
The situation is unlikely to improve this week with met offices in Bangladesh and neighboring India forecasting ‘heavy to extremely heavy’ rainfall during the time.
The flood forecasting and warning centre in 24 hours ending at 9am on Sunday recorded a rise in the water levels in almost all the major rivers in the country.
The rivers Teesta, Surma and Kushiyara were flowing above danger level at five points in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Nilphamari districts.
The FFWC forecast that the rivers Bahmaputra, Jamuna, Padma, Ganges, Surma and Kushiyara will continue to swell in next 24 to 48 hours.
The FFWC recorded the highest 109 mm rainfall in Chilmari. It also recorded 97 mm rainfall in Rangpur, 88.5 in Noakhali, 72 in Lorergarh, 61 in Kurigram and 56.3 in Teknaf in 24 hours ending at 9am on Sunday.
Our Moulvibazar correspondent reported that authorities in the district announced the closure of 142 primary and 41 secondary level schools until further notice.
‘The school premises are completely under water and it is not possible to hold classes there until the water recedes,’ the district’s primary education officer Abdul Alim told New Age.
About 3,00,000 people in four upazilas in the district have been affected by the flood that hit the Sylhet division in mid-June.
Reports about fresh low lying areas going under water continued to come from the districts till Sunday. The flood has already forced the authorities to open 10 shelter centres.
The flood affected people were starving and suffering from water-borne diseases due to poor disaster response.
Our staff correspondent in Sylhet reported that as many as 174 educational institutions, including 161 primary schools, were closed in six upazilas in the district.
Fresh areas went under water in the district on Sunday. About 3,00,000 people have been affected by flood in the district.
Our Lalmonirhat correspondent reported that three primary schools at Saniajan Char were announced closed as water level in Teesta continued to rise.
The Teesta barrage flood forecasting office said the river is likely to swell in the next 24 hours. As many as 15,000 people were marooned by flood in three upazilas in the district.
Our Rangpur correspondent reported that about 5,000 people in three upazilas in the district were affected by flood.
Crops on a vast tract of land were also damaged in the flood. The department of agricultural extension said it would take a while to assess the exteny of damage caused.
The flood situation in Shariatpur also remained unchanged till Sunday.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh MET office also issued a warning at 6 pm on Sunday about the possibility of the forecasted ‘heavy to very heavy rainfall’ causing landslides in the hilly regions of Chittagong and Sylhet.