Rain, river swelling cause floods

Incessant rainfall coupled with the onrush of water in rivers from upstream has triggered flash floods in different regions across the country.

People of flood-hit regions are going through difficulties as their households have been submerged. Farmers are fearing big losses as a vast area of farmland have been inundated, damaging crops.

Administrative officials concerned said that they have sufficient relief materials for the victims.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department forecast that light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur in many parts of the country today.

In Lalmonirhat, some fresh areas were inundated by floodwater yesterday.

The water of the Teesta river was flowing above 15cm above the danger level at Hatibandha's Teesta barrage point yesterday morning, said Abdul Quader, sub-divisional engineer of Lalmonirhat of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).

Over 1.5 lakhs people have been stranded in more than 100 villages of five upazilas in the district, according to BWDB officials.

Many people have taken shelter on roads and safe high places with their livestock and essentials.

The char areas and the low-lying areas along the river have been submerged. Many varieties of vegetables, nuts, maize and aman seedbeds have been submerged under the floodwaters.

Nazrul Islam, 55, a flood-hit farmer at Shiberkuti village in Dharla River shoal of Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila, said their aman seedbed and nuts had been submerged. He and his family members took shelter on the WDB dyke with their cattle as the water level of the Dharla river water rose yesterday morning.

Contacted, Lalmonirhat's deputy commissioner Abu Jafor said the district administration has already started distributing the relief materials among the victims and that they have enough stock.

In the north-eastern region, many low-lying areas of Sylhet and Sunamganj have been inundated by the flash flood.

Over one lakh people of the two districts have been marooned, said WDB officials.

The Surma was flowing 40cm and 46cm above the danger level respectively in Sylhet's Kanaighat and Sunamganj's Sadar upazilas yesterday, according to WDB officials.

The Jadukata river was flowing 121cm above danger level in Laurer Garh area of Sunamganj's Tahirpur upazila.

Sabibur Rahman, executive engineer at BWDB in Sunamgnaj, said road communication was being disrupted due to the flood.

Meanwhile, a 10-year-old boy and a 60-year-old man died after a boat capsized in the stormy wave at a haor near Dhar village of Derai upazila in the district, said KM Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Derai Police Station.

The water levels of all rivers surrounding Sylhet are rising fast, and therefore, the flood situation may be prolonged, said Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, executive engineer of BWDB in Sylhet.

In Jamalpur, low lying areas in Islampur and Dewanganj upazilas have been inundated by flash flood causing immense sufferings to people.

The Jamuna was flowing 25cm above the danger mark at Bahadurabad Ghat point in Dewanganj upazila yesterday, according to WDB officials.

Flood water has already engulfed 1,575hectares of jute fields, 113 hectares of Aus, 10 hectares of vegetables and 1.5 hectares of seedbeds in the district, said Aminul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Jamalpur.

In Netrokona, fresh areas of at least six unions of Kalmakanda upazila were inundated due to onrush waters from across the border yesterday morning.

Some 300 families were marooned and around 250 ponds were affected so far. Roads at some areas have also been damaged.

Contacted, Kalmakanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sohel Rana said they were preparing a list of the flood-hit people to distribute relief materials.

Our correspondents from Lalmonirhat, Sylhet, Jamalpur and Mymensingh contributed to this report.