Flash floods inundate parts of Mymensingh
The water level of the Teesta was above danger-level in Lalmonirhat yesterday while flash floods hit low-lying areas in Mymensingh, submerging acres of land and villages, and affecting the lives of thousands of people.
An onrush of upstream water from India, together with heavy rain caused the water level to rise in these districts, officials said.
Meanwhile, water-logging due to lack of dredging disrupted crop cultivation in over 1,000 acres of land in Pabna's Sujanagar, said locals.
In a bulletin, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said water levels of the country's main rivers -- Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Ganges-Padma -- were increasing and might continue to rise for the next 72 hours.
Teesta's water level at the Teesta Barrage Point in Hatibandha upazila was flowing 20 cm above the danger-level (52.60 metre) since morning, said officials.
It rose due to heavy rain and upstream water from India, said Muhibul Islam, sub-divisional engineer of Lalmonirhat Water Development Board.
"There is a fear of an untimely flood as the Teesta water level is continuing to rise," he added.
Chars and low-lying areas along the river were inundated while Aman seedbeds and other crops were submerged in many areas.
Over one lakh people in the Teesta shoal have been worried about the flood.
Mozammel Haque, a farmer at Char Gaddimari, said when he woke up to see his home flooding.
He took his family and rushed to a safe place with the necessary furniture and his cattle, he said.
Moslema Begum, from Bagdora area in Lalmonirhat Sadar, said her bed and tube-well were submerged.
She said her family took shelter on a road.
In Mymensingh, some 22,000 people of 20 villages were affected by flash floods in Dhobaura upazila.
Anwar Hossain Khan, chairman of Gamaritola union parishad, said there was heavy rainfall in his area over the last couple of days.
He said water entered some areas because a dam on the Netai river collapsed on Thursday, addin that mainly, fisheries and Aman seedbeds were affected.
Swapon Talukder, chairman of Purakandulia union parishad, said water started to recede in some areas since Friday afternoon but rainfall continued.
Both chairmen said they urged their local administrations to take immediate steps and help the people living in those areas.
Dhobaura Upazila Fishery Officer Zakir Hossain said around 500 ponds were affected.
"We are assessing the total loss at the field level," he said.
Dhobaura Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rafiquzzaman said he already visited the affected villages and that a list of affected people was being prepared.
Meanwhile, farmers of Pashchimchak in Pabna's Sujanagar said they used to grow paddy, onion and jute on their land but could not in the last few years due to water-logging.
They said most canals have been filled up due to the lack of dredging. Besides, there is no crop transportation facility there.
Pashchimchak area is in the middle of Ahmedpur and Raninagar unions of the upazila.
Farmer Afzal Hossain said he owns 10 to 12 bighas of land in the beel where he used to grow paddy and onions.
"I have not been able to cultivate any crops for the last few years due to water-logging," he said.
Water hyacinths have filled up the land due to stagnant water, he added.
Sujanagar Upazila Agriculture Officer Moynul Haque Sarkar said Pashchimchak area was left out of the development facility.
Pabna-2 lawmaker Ahmed Firoz Kabir said a proposed dredging project of Tk 110 core has been submitted to the water resources ministry for the approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.
The project includes dredging canals to connect the water body with the river, he said.
(Our correspondents in Lalmonirhat, Mymensingh and Pabna contributed to this report.)
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