Flood strikes twice

For a second time this monsoon, heavy rainfall and rising river waters have inundated vast areas of the country's northern and northeastern regions.

Many, who had moved to shelters after the June flooding and recently returned to repair their homes, found their houses and properties submerged again.

"Our houses were damaged by flood only a few days ago. Then, the water receded and we came back home. But now our houses have been inundated again, so we are going back to the shelter," said Jobeda Bewa, 63, from Char Khuniagachh under Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

Flood in the northern districts

The Dharla river was flowing two centimetres above the danger level at Shimulbari point in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila yesterday evening.

Around the same time, at Dowani point near the Teesta Barrage in Hatibandha upazila, the Teesta river had risen 33 cm above the danger mark.

The Teesta's water is rising due to incessant rains and hill waters from India, upstream from Bangladesh, said Abdul Quader, sub-divisional engineer of Lalmonirhat Water Development Board (WDB).

He said all the gates of the barrage have been opened due to the pressure of water upstream of the dam.

Hundreds of chars and low-lying areas, including 110 villages in 21 unions of Lalmonirhat along the Teesta and Dharla rivers, have been inundated due to rising water levels, he added.

In Kurigram, a two-year-old boy named Arman Hossain was drowned in the floodwaters of a small beel next to his residence at Nawdabosh village under Phulbari upazila on Friday afternoon.

In Nilphamari, the Teesta was flowing 28 cm above danger level yesterday afternoon, according to the local WDB office,

The river will continue to rise, worsening the flood situation, the office warned.

Officials of local administration are preparing to evacuate people from the risky areas.

In Gaibandha, yesterday afternoon the Teesta crossed the danger mark by 0.2 cm at the Kaunia point for the first time this year.

Meanwhile, the Brahmaputra's water level almost reached the  danger mark at the Fulchari point around 3.00pm yesterday.

In Bogura, the Jamuna and the Bangali are rising again after falling below the danger mark about three days ago.

Within the next two to three days, both the rivers will cross the danger level, said Md Humayan Kabir, assistant engineer of the Bogura WDB.

In Tangail, for the last two days, the Jamuna river has been rising again due to heavy rain and onrush of water upstream from the district, thus threatening a worsening of the flood situation.

Earlier this month, around 1.5 lakh people of the char and low lying areas of six out of the district's 12 upazilas were affected by flood after the Jamuna overflowed.

Flash floods in the northeast

In Sunamganj and Sylhet, flood situations are worsening again, a week after the previous flash flood situation had improved.

Yesterday, the Surma was flowing at 54 cm above danger level at Sunamganj town area and 166 cm above at the district's Chhatak upazila. In Sylhet's Kanaighat upazila the river was flowing 77 cm above the danger level, according to local WDB officials.

Meanwhile, the Jadukata river is flowing 134 cm above the danger mark at Shaktiarkhola of Sunamganj's Tahirpur upazila. Many roads at Sadar, Bishwambarpur, Tahirpur, Jamalganj and Chhatak upazilas are submerged in floodwaters.

Mamun Ahmed, a shopkeeper in Sunamganj municipality's Ukil Para, said, "My shop was flooded a couple of days ago. It has flooded again. I don't know when the flooding will stop."

Earlier on June 25, a flash flood affected 82 unions and four municipalities of all 11 upazilas of the district. Later, the water receded and before the situation could completely improve, another flash flood hit the district severely.

Mohammad Abdul Ahad, deputy commissioner of Sunamganj, said, "As we had forecast of the flash flood, we prepared for it and already started opening shelter centres for affected people."

Our correspondents from Lalmonirhat, Bogura, Nilphamari, Tangail and Sylhet  contributed to the story.