Thousands marooned as flash floods hit Bogra, Kurigram
Flash floods triggered by heavy rain and water from upstream hill areas across the border inundated vast areas in Bogra and Kurigram districts in last couple of days while Jamalpur town protection embankment developed breach under pressure of rainwater.
Over 100 villages of 20 unions of Nageswari, Sadar, Ulipur, Roumari and Rajibpur upazilas of Kurigram district in last four days, reports our correspondent.
The affected unions are Narayanpur and Noonkhawa under Nageswari upazila, Ghogadaho, Jatrapur, Moghalbasha and Pachgachhi under Sadar upazila, Begamganj, Shaheber Alga, Hatia and Buraburi under Ulipu upazila, Raniganj, Astamirchar, Chilmari and Ramna under Chilmari upazila, Bandber, Shaulmari and Roumari under Roumari upazila and Rajibpur, Mohanganj and Kodalkathi under Rajibpur upazila.
Over 20,000 families have been marooned while around 11,500 hectares of newly transplanted aman paddy and vegetable fields have gone under water, agriculture officials said.
The Dharla and Brahmaputra rivers were flowing 33 cm and 43 cm respectively under danger marks on Wednesday when 157 mm rains in Dharla Bridge point in Sadar upazila, 300 mm in Kawnia point in Kawnia upazila and 131 mm in Chilmari ghat point in Chilmari upazila were recorded in 24 hours, local WDB official said.
Abdul Gafur, Chairman of Jatrapur union under Kurigram Sadar, said over two thousand families have been marooned by flash water here while hundreds of acres of new planted Aman paddy field are under water for four days.
Abul Hasem, Chairman of Rajarhat upazila parishad, said, “The second time flash flood has inundated vast areas in the upazila. Over two thousand families have been marooned by flood water while 15 hectares of vegetable fields and hundreds fish ponds have gone under water.”
Classes of Hariswar Taluk High School and Hariswar Taluk Government Primary School in the upazila have been suspended as water entered school houses,” he said.
Our Bogra correspondent reports: At least 63 villages in Dhunat and Sariakandi upazilas under Bogra district got flooded in last three days.
The situation adds to the sufferings of the people who had returned home after recession of the flood water late August.
With the Jamuna flowing near the danger mark, the river erosion has turned serious, devouring at least 50 houses in Bhandarbari union of the upazila in the last three days.
The second time flood has marooned 13 villages on the east side of the flood control embankment in Bhandarbari union, and 30 villages in Chikashi and Dhunat Sadar unions and Dhunat municipality areas.
After receding of the earlier flood water, the farmers of the area started cultivating Gainja paddy and different vegetables but the second time flood made them fall in distress again.
"As the earlier flood damages my vegetable field, I cultivated vegetables for the second time with loan money but the second time flood has dashed all my hopes," said Zafor Mondal, a farmer of Bhandarbari union.
Schooling in the flood affected areas is badly hampered as road communication got disrupted and water entered several schools.
Away in Sariakandi upazila, at least 20 villages of Chandanbaisha, Kamalpur, Kutubpur and Nij Kornibari unions of the upazila have been flooded as water from the Jamuna entered through the collapsed flood control embankment.
Our Jamalpur correspondent adds: A 50 metres breach developed on Jamalpur town protection embankment at Dewanpara of Jamalpur town on the Brahmaputra River amid heavy rainfall from Saturday to Monday, said sources of Water Development Board (WDB).
More 240 metres of the embankment has come under threat due to the breach, they said.
The breach developed as the embankment was constructed in 2008 without drainage system for removing rainwater of the adjoining areas, sources said.
Nabakumar Chowdhury, executive engineer of WDB, said, "There was no plan of drainage system under the embankment construction project, as flow of the river was away from the embankment that time. Later it advanced. To stop the breach for the time being, the WDB has already dumped 5000 sandbags and 10,000 more will be dumped there. Meanwhile, requisition for dumping more 7200 geo-bags has been sent to the higher authority."
“If the breach further develops, adjoining areas with several important structures including Jamalpur Zila School, Jamalpur municipality office and newly built community centre may come under threat. The embankment needs to be reconstructed for permanent solution to the problem," he added.
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