Rain triggers flash flood in north
Low-lying areas of the northern Bogra, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts have been inundated by the rising waters of the Jamuna, Teesta and Dharla rivers triggered by heavy rains in Bangladesh and neighbouring India since Thursday night with the local administrations estimating some 75,000 people to have been affected.
Our Bogra correspondent reports that some 20,000 residents of at least 15 villages of Shariakandi upazila have been marooned after an under-construction eight-kilometre embankment collapsed in Haorakhali village yesterday afternoon giving way to the Jamuna.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) sources say water has been flowing well above the danger mark, seeping into neighbouring upazilas and threatening another 20,000 villagers.
The Tk 20-crore embankment project, from Dhalirkandi of Shariakandi union and Daripara of Kamalpur union, was initiated after a flood control dam collapsed flooding six upazilas last year.
The agriculture office is yet to estimate damage to crops while the upazila nirbahi officer hopes the situation would be normalised since the embankment's repairs were ongoing.
Our Lalmonirhat correspondent reports that some 50,000 people of 80 villages in five upazilas have been affected with most moving to higher grounds for the rise in the waters of the Teesta and Dharla rivers both upstream and downstream.
Water was flowing close to the danger level at the Teesta barrage point of Hatibandha upazila and at the Kulaghat point of sadar upazila, say BWDB sources.
People have been resorting to dry food while apprehending a shortage of fodder.
Our Nilphamari correspondent reports that at least 5,000 people of 14 villages in Dimla and Jaldhaka upazilas have become marooned since the Teesta started swelling with the water passing close to the danger mark at Dalia point near the Teesta barrage.
Most houses have gone under two to three feet of water while people are suffering from a lack of dry food and drinking water.
The heavy rains are also threatening parts of an embankment at Bhaban Chur and Gopal Jhar points in Jaldhaka upazila.
The affected villages are Uttor Kharibari, Kisamoter Char, Baish Pukur, Vendabari, Tapur Char, Kisamat Chhatnai, Chhatunama, Bhabon Chur, Sati Ghat, Jharsingheswar, Gopal Jhar, Holdibari, Chhotokhata and Banpara.
India opened the Gojaldoba barrage while waters in other major rivers like Charal Kata, Deonai, Buri Teesta, Buri Khora, Jamuneswari, Nautara and Panga have also swelled, inundating maize and vegetable fields on an estimated 200 hectares of land.
The upazila nirbahi officer said they were monitoring the situation.
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