The damaged embankments are in Faridpur, Sirajganj, Tangail, Mymensingh, Gopalganj, Noakhali, Cox's Bazar, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Bogra, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj districts.

The embankments in the western and eastern parts of the capital, however, remained safe while the city's Banasri, Basabo, Badda, Khilgaon, Goran and Mothertek areas are unprotected as there is no flood control embankment covering these areas, the sources said.

Floods destroyed about 45 kilometres of the embankments completely and 308 kilometres partially, WDB sources said adding that the total damage is worth Tk 90 crore.

With water still flowing above the danger level in 20 rivers, the overall flood situation is deteriorating further, the sources said.

Huge pressure of flood water and wave action hit the embankments leaving those damaged, AK Azad, chief monitoring officer, WDB told The Daily Star, adding, "We are trying to protect the embankments from the wave action and slope damage by using sand bags and piling."

About the city's unprotected areas, another WDB official said that some parts of the city's eastern area including Basabo, Khilgaon, Goran, Banasri and Badda are exposed to flood threats, as there is no embankment for these areas. These areas of the capital were hit by floods in 1988 and 2004, he added.

"To protect these areas from flooding, WDB proposed building an embankment under eastern embankment cum by-pass project at a cost of Tk 2,750 crore," the official said adding that the development project proforma (DPP) is now at the planning commission for review.

Water of the Someswari river at Durgapur flows 180 cm above the danger level, which is the highest among all the rivers.

The other rivers flowing above the danger mark are Kangsha (117 cm), Dharla (73 cm), Brahmaputra at Chilmari (81 cm), Brahmaputra at Noonkhawa (61 cm), Jamuna at Bahadurabad (84 cm) Jamuna at Sirajganj and Aricha (99 and 85 cm), Dhaleswari (25 cm), Padma at Goalundo and Bhagyakul (105 and 66 cm) and Surma at Kanaighat, Sylhet and Sunamganj (111, 27 and 61 cm).

The two new rivers that have crossed the danger mark are Meghna (5 cm) and Old Brahmaputra (4 cm), WDB sources said.