Breaches in embankments flooding farms
Many villages and croplands on a vast tract of land have gone under water as flood protection dams breached in some districts across the country.
Officials of Water Development Board yesterday said they were working hard to protect the dams. Locals also joined hands with each other to protect embankments and save their houses and croplands from being hit by flooding.
In Lalmonirhat, a portion of a flood control dam was damaged due to erosion of the Teesta river yesterday morning. The dam is in Gobordhan area of Aditmari upazila.
An about 40 metre part of the 250-metre dam has already caved in and some other parts of it are on the verge of being breached, said locals.
As a result, over 1,000 homes and crops on a vast tract of land are at risk of being submerged.
The embankment was constructed in 2003-2004 fiscal year by Water Development Board. It had developed some cracks and the WDB was carrying out repair works.
Mosaddek Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of Mahishkhocha Union Parishad, said some locals yesterday morning announced through loudspeakers of mosques that the dam caved in.
Hearing the announcement, villagers gathered in Gobordhan area and started working to protect the dam.
On information, WDB officials went to the area and the dumping of GEO bags began to protect the dam, said Mizanur Rahman, executive engineer of WDB.
Meanwhile, the overall flood situation in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram started to improve yesterday as the local rivers were flowing below the danger level.
In Rangpur, a portion of a 250-metre river protection dam breached in Tongradah area of Pirganj upazila on Monday night due to erosion of the Karatoa river. The dam is in the bordering area of Rangpur and Gaibandha districts.
Houses and croplands in 13 villages of Gaibandha's Palashbari upazila went under water, said Aminul Islam Rintu, chairman of Kishoregari Union Parishad in Palashbari upazila.
Saddam Hosain of Thekipara village in Palashbari said, "My banana field on 2.5 bighas of land has been damaged due to flooding."
WDB Sub-divisional Engineer Golam Zakaria said they were working to protect the dam.
Masudur Rahman, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Gaibandha, said aman paddy and other crops on around 1,000 hectares of land were damaged due to flooding.
The overall flood situation in the district worsened yesterday as the Karatoa was flowing 81 cm above the danger level at Katakhali point at noon.
In Bogura, the Jamuna was flowing 8 cm above the danger level at Mathurapara point in Sariakandi upazila yesterday.
Besides, the water level in the Bangali river in the same upazila has been rising for a week. The river was flowing 17.7 cm above the danger level yesterday morning.
In Manikganj, cracks developed in some parts of the town protection dam, putting over 1,000 houses at risk of being submerged.
The dam was built in 2010 to protect Boalia and Bara-Sarundi areas of the town from erosion of the Kaliganga river.
Contacted, WDB Executive Engineer Main Uddin said they would dump GEO bangs in the vulnerable areas to protect the dam.
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) in a bulletin yesterday said the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river was in rising trend which might continue in next 24 hours.
[Our correspondents from Lalmonirhat, Bogura, and Manikganj contributed to this report.]
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