Major rivers still flowing above danger mark

Floodwater has started to recede but the major rivers in the Brahmaputra basin are still flowing above their danger marks.
About five lakh people of the low-lying areas in the seven flood-prone northern districts of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Bogura, Jamalpur and Sirajganj basin are suffering badly due to lack of foods and shelters.
In some areas, where floodwater has started to recede farmers are losing their land due to river erosion. Newly planted paddy and other crops in huge areas were destroyed as they went under floodwater.
According to Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials, the major rivers were still flowing above their danger marks (DMs) at 10 points in Nilphamari, Kurigram, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj at 9am on Saturday.
Water levels of the Brahmaputra fell by 17cm each at Noonkhawa and Chilmari while the Jamuna by 14cm at Fulchhari, 15cm at Bahadurabad and 9cm each at Sariakandi and Kazipur and 11cm at Sirajganj points over the last 24 hours.The Brahmaputra was flowing 24cm above the
    danger mark at Noonkhawa and 29cm at Chilmari and Jamuna was flowing 56cm above the danger mark at Fulchhari, 59cm at Bahadurabad, 51cm at Sariakandi, 55cm at Kazipur and 35cm at Sirajganj points at 9am on Saturday.
However, water levels of the Dharla and Teesta rose by 11cm and 36cm at Kurigram and Dalia points during the period and were flowing above their danger marks by 60 cm and 18 cm respectively at 9am.
The Ghaghot marked a fall by 4cm during the last 24 hours at Gaibandha where the river was flowing above its danger mark by 27cm at 9am on Saturday.
Executive Engineer of BWDB Mokhlesur Rahman for Gaibandha said all flood control embankments and structures are safe and riverbank protection works continuing at few places in the district.
BWDB's Executive Engineer Ariful Islam for Kurigram said water levels of the Dharla might start receding in the next 24 hours and the Brahmaputra continued to recede.
BWDB Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said the flood situation was likely to continue improving in Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha and adjoining areas in the next 24 hours.
"There is no report of any vulnerability of flood control embankments and we are closely monitoring the situation and safety of flood control structures," Ghosh added.
He said the government had been carrying out relief activities as the current deluge exposed thousands of people to miseries following the inundation of vast low-lying areas in the affected districts in the basin.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Kurigram Dilip Kumar Saha said 302 tonnes of rice and Tk36.5 lakh allocated by the government were being distributed among 122,000 flood-hit people of the district.
Gaibandha DRRO Mokhlesur Rahman said 200 tonnes of rice and Tk13 lakh were being distributed among 325,000 flood-affected people of 26 unions in four upazilas of the district.
Dimla Upazila Nirbahi Officer Joyoshree Rani Roy said 125 tonnes of rice and Tk 1.5 lakh were being distributed among 3,200 affected people and 69 river erosion-hit families of Dimla Upazila in Nilphamari.
According to BWDB officials, the Teesta barrage authority has opened its all 44 sluice gates to control the floodwater.
More families were affected by the flood as new areas had been inundated in Dimla and Jaldhaka upazila due to heavy rainfall and onrush of water from upstream.
The Teesta was flowing 22cm above the danger mark at Dalia point until 9am on Saturday morning, confirmed Nurul Islam, the gauge reader at Teesta Barrage, adding all 44 gates of the barrage had been kept open since this morning to control the strong current.
"The water level has now dropped and the river is flowing 18cm over the danger mark as of 12pm on Saturday," he added.
Low-lying areas of Dimla, Jaldhaka and Lalmonirhat were inundated due to heavy rains and as a result 23 families in Dimla's Baishpukur area have become stranded, Dalia Water Development Board's Warning Centre said.
Sub Assistant Engineer of WDB (Water Branch) Aminur Rashid said, "Low-lying and char areas in the Teesta River basin were inundated due to heavy rains and onrush of water coming down from India. The Teesta barrage has opened all 44 sluice gates to control the floodwater."
Purba Chhatnai Union Parishad Chairman Abdul Latif Khan said many people had shifted their homes to higher grounds as the Teesta water began to flow above the danger level on Saturday morning.
Apart from Purba Chhatnai, homes of 3,000 families in Khagakharbari, Tepakharibari, Khalisha Chapani, Jhunagach and Gayabari of Dimla Upazila have been inundated.
Moreover, homes of 5,000 families were also flooded in 10 chars and char villages in Golmunda, Dowabari, Shaulmari and Kaimari Union of Jaldhaka upazila.
Maqbool Hossain, a member of Ward No 2 of Khagakharibari Union under Dimla Upazila, said about 60 families, under his Ward, are suffering as floodwater had entered their houses. "If the water level continues to rise, their homes will have to be relocated."
Around 4.00 lakh people in seven upazilas of Jamalpur and at least 1.25 lakh people in six upazilas of Tangail have been affected by the flood.
Department of Agriculture Extension Office sources said standing crops on 13,343 hectares had gone under floodwater.
Aush paddy on 2,576 hectares, T-Aman seedbed on 369 hectares, jute on 8,715 hectares, vegetables on 1,530 hectares, sesame on 21 hectares, maize on 17 hectares, banana on 24 hectares and green chilli on 86 hectares have gone under water.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) Md Nayeb Ali said even though floodwater started receding the situation was yet to improve.
About 400 meters of a flood control embankment collapsed in Sarduv area under Sadar Upazila. Hundreds of people in 20 villages under the upazila are now passing days in fear.
Deputy Commissioner Md Rezaul Karim said they had allocated 302 metric tonnes of rice and Tk36.68 lakh for the flood affected people.