Dyke collapse inundates 30 Gaibandha villages

At least 32 villages in Sadar and Fulchhari upazilas of Gaibandha district were flooded following breach of Gaibandha town protection embankment (Sonail dyke) at Goderhat point yesterday.

Meanwhile, five children drowned in the floodwater in Jamalpur the same day.

The flood situation in other parts of Gaibandha remained static as Brahmaputra and Ghagot rivers were flowing 46 and 34 centimetres above the danger mark in the last 24 hours, said local Water Development Board (WDB) sources.

At least hundred metres of the dyke was washed away by the surging water, inundating a vast tract of croplands and a number of homesteads at the villages in Kholahati, Boali, Badiskhali and Ramchardapur unions of Sadar upazila; and Udakahali, Kanchipara, Gajaria and Uriya unions in Fulchhari upazila, reports our correspondent.

The flood victims, who took shelter on the dyke, are now staying under the open sky, said locals.

Fish fry of 200 ponds were washed away by onrush of water through the breach.

In Sadullapur upazila, one and a half kilometre area at Kazolghop on Sadullapur-Gaibandha road went under floodwater, disrupting communications.

“We earlier informed the authorities concerned about the vulnerable point of Sonail flood control dyke along the River Ghagot, but they did not take any initiative in this regard,” said Ibrahim Khalil Ulfat, chairman of Kholahati Union Parishad.

Seepage of floodwater continued through the dyke, but it was too late for taking precautionary measure to renovate the vulnerable point of dyke, said Gaibandha WDB Executive Engineer Abdul Awal.

In Bogra, water levels of Jamuna and Bangalee rivers were increasing, inundating around 150 villages in five upazilas of the district in the last seven days, reports our correspondent.

According to WDB, the Jamuna and the Bangalee were flowing 66 and 48 cm above the dangers marks, leaving over 1.50 lakh people marooned in the upazilas.

The affected upazilas are Sariakandi, Sonatola, Dhunat, Adamdighi and Shibganj.

The flood-hit people are facing acute crisis of food, medicine, drinking water and shelter.

The district administration has distributed 150 tonnes of rice, and Tk 9.15 lakh among the marooned people.

According to our Jamalpur correspondent, the situation in the district was improving as floodwater in many areas started receding.

However, the Jamuna was flowing 52 cm above the danger mark at Bahadurabad ghat point yesterday, said local WDB sources.

At least five kids drowned in the floodwater in the last 24 hours, said the sources.

At least 2.50 lakh people in seven upazilas of the district have been marooned.