RAJSHAHI,– With reduction of downpour and onrushing of water from upstream, water level in Ganges basin has decreased for the second consecutive day today improving flood situation in char (riverbed) and other low-lying areas further in the region.
Local office of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has recorded receding trend of water level at almost all points like Pankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Goalunda in the past 24 hours ending 9 am today, said Mukhlesur Rahman, Superintending Engineer of BWDB.
The water level of the Ganges River decreased by six cm at Pankha point in Chapainawabganj and three cm at Rajshahi point this morning and the river was flowing 191 cm and 193 cm below danger level at the two points respectively, he added.
Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, Executive Engineer of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), said the water level in Atrai River further decreased by 5 centimeters at Mohadevpur point in Naogaon district flowing 142 cm below the danger mark while the river is flowing nine cm above the danger level with five cm rise afresh at Atrai point this morning.
Of the 13 river points both in Ganges and Brahamaputra Basins monitored in almost all eight districts under Rajshahi division, water levels increased at eight stations, while decreased at five stations in the last 24 hours.
Engineer Bhuiyan said water levels in the Jamuna River have again started increasing after a couple of day’s gap. The water level was increased by 13 cm at Sariakandi point in Bogura, 11 cm at Kazipur point in Sirajgonj and five cm at Sirajgonj point and the river was flowing 97 cm, 74 cm and 66 cm above danger marks at the three points respecctively at 9 am.
The Gur River was also flowing 77 cm above the danger mark at Singra in Natore with rise of three cm afresh while the Atrai River flowing 96 cm above the danger mark at Baghabari in Sirajganj district point with one cm decrease.
Many areas are still remained waterlogging and affected due to inundation of mainland and damaging of flood control embankments at different areas in the division.
Around 3.37 lakh people of 676.5 square-kilometer low-lying areas were affected and standing crops on around 14,013 hectares of land were submerged in Sadar, Kazipur, Belkuchi, Chowhali, Shahjadpur and Ullapara Upazila in Sirajganj district.
Besides, another 31,836 households consisting 1.28 lakh people at 158 char and other low-lying villages were affected by the floodwater besides submerging crops on 8,831 hectares of land in Bogura district as its Jamuna River was following 84 cm above the danger mark at Sariakandi point.
Meanwhile, around 5.40 lakh people of 1.35 lakh flood-affected households are getting relief materials in different districts of Rajshahi division to mitigate their livelihood-related sufferings during the current disastrous situation.
The government has been distributing relief materials like 674.15 tonnes of rice, Taka 11.44 lakh in cash, Taka four lakh for baby food, around 4.25 lakh packets of dry foods and another Taka four lakh for cattle-feed in the worst-affected areas of Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Sirajganj and Bogura districts.
Moinul Islam, Additional Commissioner of Rajshahi division, said the government has also stock of another 1,484.85 tonnes of rice, Taka 34.04 lakh, Taka six lakh for baby food and 3,600 fackets of dryfoods for all the eight districts in the divsion to tackle the adverse situation.
If necessary, there are also addititional relief materials of 1,500 tonnes of rice, Taka 30 lakh for baby food, 15,000 packets of dryfood and Taka 15 lakh for cattle-fead for Sirajgonj, Bogura and Pabna districts, Mainul Islam added.
He said around 1,35,536 families consisting 5,32,675 people have become affected by the flood water in five districts of the division. Of those, Sirajgonj, Bogura, Natore and Naogaon are the worst-affected.
