Flood situation deteriorates in Brahmaputra river basin

Flood situation in Brahmaputra river basins including chars of four upazilas in the district deteriorated further as the water level of the river increased during the last 24 hours ending today's 9 am due to incessant rainfall and on rush of hilly waters from the upstream.

Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials here said the water level of the Brahmaputra river increased by 2 cm during the period and the river was flowing 13cm above its danger mark at Fulchharighat point of the district.

As a result, the chars located on the eastern sides of the river basin areas of Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari and Shaghata upazilas of the district have been inundated and many char people have been marooned and are passing their days and nights miserably.

The low lying areas located on the western sides of the river have also been flooded.

Md. Matiar Rahman, chairman of Kamarjani Union Parishad under Sadar upazila said with the rise of water level in the river, the river erosion has taken serious turn at different points of the union and hundreds of houses of the union went under flood water creating untold sufferings to the flood victims.

Nezarat deputy collector SM. Foyez Uddin who is discharging as district relief and rehabilitation officer in addition to his post said over 40,000 men of the flood affected areas had been marooned.

In reply to a query he said a total of 80 metric tonnes of rice and Taka 6 lakh were allotted for the flood victims of the district.

Due to the flood, a total of 111 primary schools of the district had been closed and academic activities of the school had also been stopped, said district primary education officer Mohammad Hossain Ali.

Apart from it, 35 high schools had also been closed due to inundation, said an official.

Deputy director of the department of agricultural extension Belal Uddin said standing crops of 1324 hectares of land located in the chars and Brahmaputra river basins went under flood water.

On the other hand, the water level of the river Ghagot also increased by 5 cm during the period and the river was flowing 42 cm above its danger levels at Newbridge Road point of the district town.

Executive Engineer of BWDB here Abu Raihan said leakage and broken parts were also found at different spots of the flood control embankment and the maintenance works are being done at the vulnerable points of the embankment in full swing through filling up earth and sand bags on urgent basis.

As the Brahmaputra was flowing over its danger mark, the officials and the employees of the board had been kept alert and vigil there to protect the embankment from any kind of damage.

Superintendent of police Muhammad Towhidul Islam said police patrolling by engine driven boats had been intensified in the Brahmaputra river to check piracy in the chars and western sides of the river.

Talking to the BSS, deputy commissioner (DC) Oliur Rahman said the district and the upazila administrations had got ready with relief materials and manpower to address the flood situation in the district efficiently.

Meanwhile, relief materials had already been distributed to 400 flood victims of Kamarjani union of Sadar upazila at the direction of the district administration.

They were also monitoring the situation closely and briefing the higher authority concerned about the latest situation and its doings about flood.

The district administration is actively considering opening a control room to help inform the people about floods, the DC concluded.

Source: BSS