Over a million stranded as flooding worsens

Desk Report || 2020-07-17 20:19:06

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The flood situation in Naogoan,  Kurigram, Tangail, Gaibandha, and Sirajganj further worsened on Friday with the Padma, Dharla , Brahmmaputra and Jumuna Rivers flowing above danger levels.

Over one million people in the districts are marooned or have left their homes for higher ground as floods continue to worsen.

In Gaibandha, around 150,000 people are still stranded in floodwaters as the Brahmaputra river is still flowing 109 centimetres above the danger mark.

Besides, the Ghagot River is flowing above 84 centimetres while Korotoa River is flowing above 15 centimetres.

Many houses in the low lying areas of Gobindaganj and Palshbari upazila have gone under water, said Mokhlesur Rahman, executive engineer of Gaibandha Water Development Board (WDB).

Around 3086 hectares of cropland went under water, said Masudur Rahman, deputy director of the district's Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

In Kurigram, the Brahmaputra River is flowing at 91cm and 81cm above the danger level at Chilmari and Nunkhawa points. The Dharla River is flowing 62cm above its danger mark at Bridge point.

Meanwhile, 475 villages under 56 unions of the district have been affected by flood water, causing 300,000 people to be marooned.

Some 120,000 people have taken shelter on roads, flood control embankments, and shelter centres in the district.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rezaul Karim said already 400MT rice have been allocated for the flood-affected people while Tk 13 lakh cash was allocated for dry foods, baby food and other purposes.

In Naogaon, about 20,000 families have been stranded in the district as a vast area of Atrai and Manda upazilas went under flood water due to damage to embankments of the Atrai River at six points.

The water level of the Atrai River has fallen slightly but it is still flowing 19 cm above the danger level, said officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board.

Atrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Sanaullah said five unions of the upazila have been inundated due to the collapse of embankments in Amrul and Baithakhali areas.

Manda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Abdul Halim said people of 25 villages in Kashab and Bishnapur unions of the upazila were affected by the flood.

In Sirajganj, around 215,000 people of 47,217 thousand families in 214 villages had been affected as the flood situation worsened, said Abdur Rahim, the district's relief and rehabilitation officer.

Altogether 187 houses and 35 educational institutions were partially or completely damaged in those areas. Moreover, 14,013 hectares of farmland had been inundated.

As the distribution of Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) rice was already ongoing in the district, additional relief – which is generally negligible in amount – had not been allocated for the flood-affected, sources said.

In Tangail, flooding worsened after the Jamuna river increased by 11cm in the last 24 hours, flowing 99cm above the danger level, sources at the Water Development Board (WDB) said.

The water levels in other rivers, including Dhaleswari and Jhenai, have also increased, inundating previously undisturbed areas, especially the chars, our local correspondent reports.

Sirajul Islam, executive engineer of WDB, said the water may decrease in the next couple of days.

About 1.3 lakh people in 151 villages of the district have been affected by the flood. Hundreds of houses have been washed away, while several roads and embankments collapsed and crops were damaged in the affected areas.

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