RAJSHAHI, – The incessant onrush of water from upper catchment over the past one week has triggered a flood situation in char (riverbed) and other low-lying areas in Ganges Basin .
Local office of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has recorded rising trend of water level at almost all points like Pankha, Rajshahi and Hardinge Bridge in the past 24 hours ending 9 am today, said Kohinur Islam, Executive Engineer of BWDB.
The water level in Ganges rose to five centimeter (CM) and 11 cm at Pankha and Rajshahi stations respectively during past 24 hours but was flowing 187 cm and 195 cm below the danger levels at the two stations said Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
The Atrai River is flowing 16 cm below the danger level at Atrai point this morning.
Of the 13 river points monitored in eight districts under Rajshahi division, water levels increased at six stations, while decreased at seven stations in last 24 hours, said Engineer Bhuiyan, adding water levels in the Jamuna River was flowing above danger marks at Sariakandi in Bogura and Kazipur and Sirajganj stations.
The Gur River was also flowing 53 cm above the danger mark at Singra in Natore while the Atrai River flowing 100 cm above the danger mark at Baghabari in Sirajganj district point.
Many areas have been waterlogged and flood-affected due to damage of flood control embankments at different points of Atrai, Raninagar and Manda Upazilas in Naogaon and Bagmara Upazila in Rajshahi district.
Around 50 villages under Atrai Upazila have been affected by flood water due to devouring of flood control embankments caused by fresh flood in Atrai River.
Azad Pramanik, 54, a farmer of Bhobanipur village, said his newly transplanted aush paddy on two bigha of land and one bigha of seedbeds for aman paddy were affected by the deluge.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Kawser Hossain said 1,375 hectares of aush and 270 hectares of aman seedbeds have so far been affected.
“We are preparing a list of the affected households and assessing the extent of damage at present,” said Sanaul Islam, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, adding relief materials are also being distributed among the affected people.
Another ten villages have also become waterlogged due to damaging of some parts of Nandaibari-Krishnapur-Malanchi flood control embankment on Little Jamuna River in Raninagar Upazila of the same district that inundated many adjacent areas besides affecting standing crops and fish farming ponds.
Rezaul Islam, 48, a fish farmer of Malanchi village, said his whole fish farm in two ponds valued at around TK 10 lakh were washed away.
Around 74,965 hectares of croplands have so far become submerged by the floodwaters in different districts under Rajshahi division, officials said.
Various standing crops like newly transplanted aush and aman paddy, aman seedbeds, direct seeded aman and vegetables were affected amid rising of water in different rivers in the districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Bogura and Sirajgonj.
“We have so far recorded standing crops on 8,569 hectares of land affected in Rajshahi, Naogaon and Natore districts have been affected ,” said Sudhendra Nath Roy, Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
In Sirajganj district, standing crops on around 6,715 hectares of land of 39,640 farmers were affected as the district’s Jamuna River was flowing above danger marks at all the Sirajgonj, Baghabari and Kajipur points.
Crops on around 374 hectares of land of 2,485 farmers have so far been affected by the flood water in Bogura district as its Jamuna River was following 98 cm above the danger mark at Sariakandi point.
