Fresh floods hit north

At least 25,000 families have been marooned in Lalmonirhat by a fresh spell of flood as the Teesta and the Dharla swelled rapidly overnight, crossing their danger levels Wednesday morning.

The Water Development Board sub-divisional engineer Hafizur Rahman told New Age that India opened all sluice gates at Gajoldoba barrage following heavy rains causing the rivers to swell suddenly downstream.

Till Wednesday afternoon 7,000 cusecs of water were released by India, said the WDB.

Hafiz said that authorities at Teesta Barrage had to open all 44 sluice gates around 6:00am to cope with a huge volume of water pressure.

Floodwaters swept away nearly a thousand meter of protection embankments at different places in Lalmonirhat and Rangpur, reported New Age correspondent in Lalmonirhat.

‘It’s only five days since floodwaters receded from our home,’ said Hatibandha’s Sindurna union parishad chairman Nurul Amin. 

Vast areas of Lalmonirhat remained under water for 10 days after India opened the sluice gates at Gajoldoba barrage to let out water accumulating upstream following heavy rains.

At least 17 northern, north-eastern and central districts were still under floodwaters.

‘It seems we are living with the curse of flooding which now seems like a noose around our neck,’ said Nurul Amin.

The newly marooned villagers were just trying to get back to normal life after days of starvation and sufferings on the embankments, where they had taken shelter.

Many of them were suffering from waterborne diseases and became fragile from lack of food, especially children and elderly people.

The government distributed only 410 tonnes of rice, Tk 9 lakh, and 3,300 dry food packets among around one lakh marooned villagers in Lalmonirhat during the first spell of floods.

On Wednesday, fresh areas in Gobordhan, Char Gobordhan and Char Balapara villages of Hatibandha upazila were inundated after the Teesta washed away 200 meters of the protection embankment known as Kuthirpar Badh.

The Teesta also washed away 500 meters of the Gangachara embankment that protected many areas in Rangpur against floodwaters.

The Dharla breached flood protection embankment too, inundating Shiberkuthi, Char Shiberkuthi, Char Kharwa and Char Bhatibari villages.

There are 63 shoals in the Teesta and Dharla rivers at risk of flash flooding. A red alert has been issued for the shoals Wednesday afternoon.

The Teesta was flowing 45 cms above the danger level at 8:00pm Wednesday while the Dharla 46 cms above the danger level.

Extremely heavy rains in the upstream had been in the forecast of the Indian Met Office. It predicted heavy to extremely heavy rains in Assam and Meghalaya, and West Bengal and Sikkim until next Sunday except for Friday. 

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre in Bangladesh predicted that the Teesta and Dharla might continue to swell rapidly over the next 24 hours until Thursday morning.

The Brahmaputra, Ghaghat, Surma and Kushiyara were also swelling because of heavy rains inside Bangladesh and upstream, said the FFWC.

Floods in Sylhet and Sunamganj may continue to deteriorate until Thursday morning, said the FFWC.

The FFWC recorded the country’s heaviest rain of about 133 mms in 24 hours until 9:00am Wednesday at Chhatak.

Reports of heavy rains also came from at least a dozen other areas in the northern, north-eastern and south-eastern Bangladesh.

It rained 115 mms in 24 hours until 9:00am at Cherapunji in India, said the FFWC.

The Met Office said that monsoon was fairly active over Bangladesh and light to moderate rain was predicted across Rangpur division until Thursday morning.

The overall weather condition bears bad news for Bangladesh with its 11 rivers still flowing above their danger levels at 18 points at 9:00am Wednesday.

The government estimated that nearly four million people were marooned by flooding in 27 districts since July 10.

The Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room said that the death toll due to flooding rose to 91 after 7 people drowned in the last 24 hours until Wednesday morning.

New Age correspondent in Kurigram reported that Brahmaputra swelled by 15 cms, worsening flood situation in the district.

The district’s relief and rehabilitation office estimated that nearly a million people were marooned by floods in 9 upazilas in the district.

A total of 41 bridges were destroyed, 1,333 km roads were damaged and 19638 hectares of cropland were inundated by floods in the district.

Kurigram is the worst hit district where about 1,200 schools were out of operation due to floods.

New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that water continued to recede in the Jamuna as people returned home.

Still, in low-lying areas in the district and in shoals, more than 10,000 people were stranded in villages submerged by floodwaters.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net