Padma raises alarm

Almost all the char areas in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj have been flooded as the water level in the Padma river continued to rise yesterday, causing sufferings to hundreds of people there.

The Padma was flowing only 10 centimetres below the danger level in Rajshahi city yesterday evening. The danger level has been marked at 18.5 metres as per the level of the city plain.

The water level was recorded at 18.3 metres on Friday evening and it rose to 18.4 metres 24 hours later, said SM Ali Mortuza, sub-divisional engineer of Hydrological Department of Water Development Board (WDB) in the district.

The water level in the Padma started to rise on Monday as all the gates of the Farakka barrage in India were opened following a flood in Bihar, said officials from the WDB.

The water level, however, increased only one centimetre at the Farakka point in the last 24 hours. It indicates that the water would start receding tomorrow, they added.

Mokhlesur Rahman, executive engineer of WDB, Rajshahi, said the rise in the water level was normal as there was rainfall in the upstream areas.

“The rate of increase in the water level has already begun to decrease. It will not affect much,” he told The Daily Star.

WDB workers were seen placing sandbags below the T Groyen dam in Rajshahi city to protect the banks from the mighty Padma.

Some 15 chars, including Char Khanpur, Khidirpur, Majh Char in Paba upazila; Char Atarpur, Laxmipur, Narayanpur in Bagha upazila; and Char Alatuli and Ashariadaha in Godagari upazilas of Rajshahi have been flooded, according to WDB and district administration.

Many houses in Kajla and Talaimari areas near Rajshahi city were also inundated.

There was waist-deep water in the Majh Char and knee-deep water at Char Khidirpur.

The Majh Char, which emerged several years ago, had never been flooded before. Many of the 50 families there were living on boats while others took shelter at schools which were not hit by flood, reports our Rajshahi correspondent after visiting the area.

Locals were providing rice, puffed rice and other dry food to the flood affected people as the authorities concerned were yet to reach the victims.

Some 15 villages in Bagha upazila, including Chalkrajapur, Atarpara, Chowmadia, Maniker Char, and Kalidaskhali, were worst hit.

The villagers had witnessed river erosion for two weeks since the end of July. Now the flood has come at a time when they were recovering from the situation, said Aminul Islam, a resident of Chalkrajapur village

Our Chapainawabganj correspondent adds, the sudden rise in the water level of the Padma has inundated low-lying areas near the river banks in Shibganj upazila.

Most of the affected houses were situated outside the flood protection embankment.

Shahidul Alam, executive director of WDB, said the water level in the district had not crossed the danger mark yet.

The water level was not rising at the Farakka point which indicates that the flood situation would start to improve in Bangladesh in a day or two, he added.