RANGPUR, – A flood-like situation is prevailing in the upper Brahmaputra basin as several rivers crossed danger marks (DM) following monsoon rains and onrush of water from the upper catchment.
The Teesta was flowing 20 cm above the DM at Dalia in Nilphamari, Dharla by 7 cm above at Kurigram and Brahmaputra by 6 cm at Chilmari points in Kurigram at 3 pm today.
Superintending Engineer of Water Development Board (WDB) for Rangpur Circle-1 Md. Harun Ar Rashid told BSS this afternoon. Sources in the district administration said around 30,000 people living in low-lying char areas have been marooned in some parts of Kurigram, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat districts in the river basin.
Kurigram district administration has allocated Taka 2.25-lakh in cash and 2,000 packets of dry foods for affected people while Rangpur district administration distributed dry foods among marooned people of Gangachara upazila.
Nilphamari district administration has allocated Taka 50,000 in cash, 50 tonnes of rice and 500 packets of dry foods for marooned people of low-lying char areas in Purbo Chatnai and Tepakharibari unions of Dimla upazila near the Teesta Barrage Project.
According to WDB officials, the Teesta was flowing 16 below danger level at Kawnia in Rangpur, Ghaghot by 39 cm below at Gaibandha and Brahmaputra by 35 cm below at Noonkhawa points in Kurigram this afternoon.
Besides, the Jamuna was flowing 15 cm below its DM at Fulchhari in Gaibandha, 15 cm below its DM at Bahadurabad in Jamalpur, 52 cm below its DM at Sariakandi in Bogra, 65 cm below its DM at Kazipur and 90 cm below its DM at Sirajganj pints.
Water levels of the Dharla, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Ghaghot, Jamuneswari and Kartoa are rising sharply at all monitoring points in the upper Brahmaputra basin, Engineer Harun said predicting possibility of further deterioration of the situation in next 48 hours.
Officials of WDB, district and upazila administrations and local public representatives are monitoring the situation round the clock and have taken necessary preparations to face any emergency situation. With assistance of district administration and local people, WDB employees worked overnight and saved 2.5-km embankment at Taleber Mour, 2-km embankment at Bhelkir Mour and some areas at Dhubni points in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat last night, Engineer Harun said.
Executive Engineer of WDB for Rangpur Mehedi Hassan said monitoring of flood situation and flood control embankments continues round the clock and adequate preparations have been taken to face any situation in the district.
Talking to BSS, Acting Divisional Commissioner Md. Zakir Hossain said the district administrations, WDB, health administration and other authorities have taken coordinated steps and preparations to face the flood situation in Rangpur region.
