Flood situation worsens in 3 northern dists
The overall flood situation in three northern districts deteriorated yesterday as the water levels in the local rivers started to rise again.
Flood victims said they were struggling to fight the natural disaster as they saw deluges multiple times this year.
In Gaibandha, the Brahmaputra, Karatoa and Ghaghat rivers were flowing 5 cm, 26 cm and 116 cm above of the danger level respectively yesterday morning.
Gobindaganj UNO Ramkrishna Barman said, "The Gobindaganj-Dinajpur regional highway has been flooded for the last few days, leading to suspension of traffic movement."
Floodwater has entered the Gobindaganj Upazila Health Complex also. Around 50,000 people of the upazila have been marooned, the UNO added.
Crops on around 1,350 hectares of land have been damaged, said officials of Department of Agriculture Extension.
Meanwhile, a dyke along the Karatoa river breached in Boglagari and Balua areas of Gobindaganj upazila on Thursday night, flooding around 20 villages.
"About 50-metre area of the Karatoa dyke has caved in," said Abu Sayeed of Balua village.
Mokhlesur Rahman, executive engineer of Water Development Board in Gaibandha, said water level in the local rivers is likely to start receding from today.
In Bogura, the Jamuna and Bangali rivers were flowing 32 cm and 34.7 cm above the danger mark respectively yesterday morning. Crops on 1,445 hectares have gone under water.
Al Mukdadir, 20, of Godagari village said a major part of Char Godagari Government Primary School has collapsed due to erosion by the Bangali river.
In Kurigram, the Brahmaputra was flowing 4 cm above the danger level at Chilmari Ghat Point of Chilmari upazila yesterday morning.
People living in villages along the river feared that their may be hit by floods again.
Mobarak Ali, 65, a farmer at Astamir Char in Chilmari upazila, said, "I never saw floods hitting our village multiple times in a year. We are already badly affected. If a fresh flood hits us, it will be difficult for us to survive."
Aklesa Bewa, 55, a day labourer from Jatrapur in Kurigram Sadar upazila, said her house was damaged by flood in the previous phase. "We faced huge troubles in arranging money for the repair work. If it is damaged again, it will not be possible for us to repair the house again."
In Sirajganj, the water level in the Jamuna has been rising rapidly for the last couple of days. It was flowing 18 cm above the danger level at Kazipur point yesterday morning. However, no new area was inundated yesterday.
A total of 44 unions in six upazilas of the district were flooded in previous phases of floods this year, said Abdur Rahim, district relief and rehabilitation officer.
Yesterday, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre in a bulletin said, "The overall flood situation in a few low-lying areas along the Brahmaputra, Jamuna and Padma rivers in the north, middle-north and middle part of the country may remain steady in the next 24 hours."
The Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers are in rising trend. Water levels in both the rivers may remain steady in the next 24 hours, said the bulletin released at 9:00am.
The first phase of flood hit the country's northern region in June this year. Subsequently, the second and third phases hit the area in the following months.
The region saw the fourth phase of flooding by the end of last month.
[Our correspondents from Bogura, Lalmonirhat and Pabna contributed to this report.]
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