Flood affects new areas in the north
The onrush of water from upstream rivers and heavy rainfall have again inundated vast areas in the northern region of Bangladesh yesterday.
Although water receded in some northern districts, officials of Water Development Board (WDB) feared that the water level of adjoining rivers could rise again within the next few days.
Meanwhile, fresh areas have been submerged as rivers were swelling up to danger level.
Our correspondents from different districts reported on the flood situation across the country.
In Lalmonirhat, around 40,000 people have been marooned again as 65 villages of five upazilas went under water due to a rise in water level of the Teesta and the Dharla rivers.
Mansur Ali, of Balapara village in Aditmari upazila of the district, said their house was inundated around a week ago but water receded on Thursday.
After they returned, the water started entering into their house again yesterday, he added.
All the 44 gates of the Teesta Barrage were kept open yesterday morning as there was a heavy flow of water from the upstream river, said Muhibul Islam, sub-divisional engineer of WDB in Lalmonirhat.
In Kurigram, over 62,700 families are affected by flood as the Brahmaputra and the Dharla rivers were still flowing above the danger level.
Crops on 7,330 hectares of land, 16,000 houses, 30-km dykes and 37-km roads have been damaged, according to the district administration.
Many people are passing days with insufficient amount of food and drinking water, while government officials said they kept distributing relief among the victims.
In Gaibandha, the flood situation is improving slightly, though water of the Brahmaputra and the Ghaghat rivers were still flowing above danger level yesterday.
Water of the two rivers are in falling trends and it will continues till next week, said Mukhlesur Rahman, executive engineer of WDB in the district.
In Bogura, water level of the Jamuna River is also in falling trends. But the Jamuna's water level could rise again within next couple of days due to onrush of water from upstream rivers, said WDB officials.
Over 1.60 lakhs people are directly affected by flood in Bogura and Gaibandha, according to the districts' administrations.
In Jamalpur, though water receded 21 cm in the last two days, around 4 lakh people are still waterlogged as the Jamuna was still flowing 57 cm over the danger level at Bahadurabad Ghat point in Dewanganj upazila yesterday noon.
Nine people have drowned in flood water and another died from snake bite so far in the region.
In Sirajganj, the Jamuna is flowing 33 cm above the danger level yesterday and the water level is on the rise, according to WDB officials.
Two more unions were flooded yesterday in the district, raising the total numbers of affected unions at 33. Around 1.60 lakh people have marooned due to flood.
In Munshiganj, some low-lying areas have been inundated as the Padma river was flowing 11 cm above the danger level at Mawa point yesterday, said TM Rashidul Karim, executive engineer of WDB in the district.
Government officials said they already started distributing relief materials among the flood-hit people there.
Our Lalmonirhat, Pabna, Bogura and Jamalpur correspondents contributed to this report.
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