Flood situation improves in 4 dists, worsens in one

A poor local gives a desolate look at the Teesta that

devoured his dwelling house in Chandipur union of

Gaibandha. Erosion took a serious turn due to

heavy rain and onrush of water from the upstream.

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Flood situation has slightly improved in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrakona and Lalmonirhat while further worsened in Gaibandha.

In Gaibandha, flood engulfed fresh areas in Sader, Sunderganj, Fulchari and Shaghata upazilas yesterday as the rivers flowing through the district marked a further rise, reports our correspondent.

Besides, more char areas of Brahmaputra and Teesta basins have been flooded due to onrush of water from hills across the border, marooning over 7,000 people. The affected people have taken shelter on high land or at local NGO-run flood shelters.

River erosions badly affected Tarapur, Belka, Haripur, Sreepur and Kapasia villages under Sundergaj Upazila.

Our staff correspondent from Sylhet repots: Flood Situation in different upazilas of Sylhet and Sunamganj districts has slightly improved as water is receding from the low-lying areas of the districts.

The met office in Sylhet recorded 37 MM rainfall in Sylhet city during the 24hour where as it was 87 MM on Saturday. The Surma was flowing 28 cm above the danger level at Sunamganj town point yesterday afternoon while 20MM rainfall was recorded there. However, the Surma and Kushiyara are now flowing below the danger mark at other points in the region, Water Development Board officials said.

However, extraction of stones and sand in the seven quarries in Gowainghat, Companiganj and Zaintapur upazilas remained suspended for the fifth day yesterday.

In Netrakona, flood situation is gradually improving in bordering Kalmakanda and Durgapur upazila but remains static in the low-lying areas of Mohangonj, Madan, Khaliajuri, Atpara, Barhatta and Netrakona Sadar upazilas, according to our correspondent.

Water Development Board sources said Someshwary and Mogra are flowing under the danger mark while Kongsha and Dhanu are still flowing over the danger level.

Someshwary devoured about 25 houses of Ranikong village under Durgapur upazila, Dhanu devoured about 30 houses of Jagannathpur village under Khaliajuri upazila, Mogra devoured over 20 houses of Sunajur villages under Atpara upazila and Ubdakhali devoured about 35 houses of Keshobpur village under Kalmakanda upazila in the last 24 hours.

The situation has improved in Lalmonirhat district as Teesta and Dharla rivers are flowing below the danger mark.

The affected people who took shelter on roads, schools and colleges have started returning home.

Flood situation ''likely to worsen''

Flooding in Bangladesh''s northern and north-eastern districts is likely to worsen due to continuing torrential rains in the country and in neighbouring India, said officials on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com. Meteorological departments of both countries forecast more downpours over next 24 hours. Bangladesh''s Flood Forecast and Warning Centre said rainfall in the 24 hours up to 6am on Saturday was recorded at 88mm in Sylhet, 60mm in Lorergarh, 62mm in Noakhali and 57mm in Comilla. The met department said the 24 hours from 6pm on Saturday would see light to moderate rainfall in all six divisions of Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal while some places may experience heavy to moderate rainfall. Meanwhile, heavy rains in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura in India over the past few days have already been causing rivers downstream in Bangladesh to swell. The FFWC said flood situation was likely to get more serious. Water levels rose at 40 points of 73 measured in different rivers countrywide, declining at 22 points. The Surma River in Sunamganj was flowing 46cm above the danger mark on Saturday while Kangsha River in the same district was flowing 32cm above the red level, according to the Water Development Board. Water levels continued to rise in Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Padma-Meghna basins, though they were still below the danger mark for the time, said officials. Already flooded Lowlands in Feni, Sunamganj and Kurigram among other places were flooded on Friday, stranding thousands, according to local authorities. In Kurigram, water was rising in 16 rivers that flooded over 25 villages, with some 10,000 people are already marooned, said local officials. The Water Development Board recorded 13cm water rise in the Dhorala, 17cm in the Dudhkumor and 32 cm in the Bramhaputra. In Sunamganj, rivers flooded lowlands in five upazilas, marooning ''thousands'', said local reports. Waters of the Surma was flowing 48cm over the danger mark on Friday noon at Shologhar point and 85mm rainfall was recorded in the previous 24 hours. In Nilphamari, the Teesta, flowing 15cm over the danger level, flooded seven villages in three unions and left 1,500 people stranded. In Feni, eight villages of Phulgazi and Porshuram upazilas were flooded as water of the Muhuri was flowing more than 80cm over the usual mark. In Lalmonirhat, the flood situation in Hatibandha and Kaliganj upazilas worsened. Thousands of acres of land were flooded and 6,000 people were marooned, by local estimates.

Over 2 lakh marooned as fresh areas flooded

With inundation of more low-lying areas, the flood situation in Netrakona, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha worsened further yesterday. Heavy rains and onrush of water from hills across the border have aggravated the situation in the flood-hit district, marooning over two lakh people. Our Netrakona correspondent reports: The low-lying areas of Kalmakanda, Durgapur, Madan, Mohonganj, Barhatta, Netrakona Sadar and Khaliajuri upazilas have been submerged, leaving about 75,000 people marooned, Netrakona Water Development Board (WDB) sources said. Four rivers-Someshwary, Kongsha, Magra and Dhanuin the district are flowing above the danger mark. Road communications between the district headquarters and Durgapur, Kalmakanda and Khaliajuri upazilas have been snapped. Downpour and onrush of water from hills across the border have submerged the low-lying areas of five upazilas in Lalmonirhat district. According to a correspondent, Teesta and Dharla rivers in Lalmonirhat district are flowing 11cm and 2 cm above the danger mark, leaving at least 45,000 people marooned in the low-lying areas of Hatibandha, Kaligonj, Aditmari, patgram and sadar upazilas. The Dharla river erosion in Mogholhat area of Sadar upazila has also taken a serious turn due to downpour for the last four days. The affected people have taken shelter on the Teesta embankment. Our staff correspondent from Sylhet says: The flood situation in the different upazilas of Sylhet and Sunamganj deteriorated further due to heavy rains and onrush of waters from the hilly areas of India.

The met office in Sylhet recorded 87 MM rainfall during 24 hours until 4:00pm yesterday. Surma was flowing 41 cm above the danger level yesterday. Over one lakh people remained marooned in Zakiganj, Kanaighat, Companiganj, Gowainghat and Zaintapur upazilas of Sylhet. Aman seed beds on over 5,000 acres of land have gone under water in those upazilas. Extraction of stones and sand in seven quarries in Gowainghat, Companiganj and Zaintapur upazilas remained suspended for the fourth day yesterday. In Sunamganj, villages in Doarabazar, Biswambharpur, Chhatak, Tahirpur and part of Sunamganj Sadar upazilas have been inundated due to downpour and onrush of water from upstream. Fifty families have shelter at two local primary schools. In Kurigram, about 50 villages in the district have been flooded as the rivers flowing through the districts swelled further. According to a local Water Development Board (WDB) source, water level in Dharla, Dudhkumar, Brahmaputra and Teesta rivers market a further rise yesterday, reports our correspondent. The UNO of Nageswari upazila said about 1,500 families of Ansererhat, Muria and Bhelianirpar under Bamondanga Union, Char Balorumpur under Ballobher Khash Union, Khelar Bhita under Berubari Union and Katgir under Kaliganj Union have been badly affected. Our Gaibandha correspondent adds: Fresh areas under Gaibandha sader, Fulchari and Shaghata upazila have gone under water as the Jamuna swelled further due to onrush water from upstream. The badly affected areas are Goderhat, Boali, Badiakhali, Rasoolpur, Bhaserpara, Balashi, Ketkirhat, Kalasona, Ratanpur, Mashamari and Nilkuthi.