No respite for flood-hit people

Water level in all major rivers started to rise again yesterday, only two days after the initial flood water began to recede.

As a result, nearly two million people from 15 flood- affected districts mostly in  the northern and northeastern parts of the country will suffer for another 10 to 12 days, having just recovered from a 10-day flood, experts say.

The Surma, Kushiyara and Jadukata rivers in Sylhet and  Teesta and Dharla rivers in north Bengal are flowing above the danger level, according to the Flood Forecast and Warning Centre (FFWC).

Water level in the Brahmaputra and Jamuna would also increase in the next 24 hours, the centre informed, making a similar forecast about the Ganges.

Citing the mathematical model of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) and Indian Meteorological Department, FFWC said Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh and adjoining areas of West Bengal may experience heavy rainfall in the next 72 hours.

This year an early spell of flood started on June 26 and lasted for 10 days. 

The regular flooding started yesterday and would last at least for another 12 days, experts warned.

Together the two spells would stretch the flood situation for three weeks this year, they said.

"The water level is going to rise for the next one week and it will take another few days for the water to recede. So the flood will sustain this time for another 10 to 12 days," said Md Arifuzzaman, executive engineer of FFWC, yesterday.

Analysing the floods since 1984, Professor AKM Saiful Islam of the Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM) found floods occuring in June only in 2000, 2010, 2012 and this year.

"In 1998 the flood lasted for 33 days. This year also the flood will last for at least 3 weeks," he said.

In the last five years, there were three big floods in 2016, 2017 and 2019, the professor said.

In 2016, the water level of the Padma-Jamuna confluence at Bahadurabad point in Sirajganj reached 20.71 metres breaking the record of 1988, which was 20.62 metres. In 2017, the water level rose to 20.84 metres breaking the record of 2016 and in 2019 the water level reached 21.16 metres breaking the record of 2017.

People's sufferings continue

Our Moulvibazar correspondent reports quoting Mahfuz Shakil, a resident from Nabiganj area, that water has entered his house as downpour continued since yesterday.

Saber Mia's house in Sylhet's Teghoria is also inundated forcing him to plan moving to a flood shelter.

Executive engineer Sahibur Rahman from the Water Development Board (WDB) in Sunamganj informed The Daily Star that the Jadukata and the Surma rivers were flowing 30 cm above the danger level.

Meanwhile, our Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat correspondents said the Teesta started swelling and was flowing 15 centimetres above the danger mark at 3.00 pm yesterday.

The danger level of the river at Dalia point near Teesta barrage is 52.60 metre.

Executive Engineer Rabiul Islam of WDB at Dalia division said to ease the flood situation all the 45 gates of the barrage had been opened.

Teesta already flooded at least 15 shoals of Dimla and Jaldhaka upazila, marooning about 20,000 people.

Aklas Uddin from Teesta River's char Dowani in Lalmonirhat's Hatibandha upazila just returned home after 10 days from a makeshift shelter on a highway. He had taken refuge there with his family from the first spell of flood.

"Now, we are going to face another flood," Aklas panicked.