Lalmonirhat floods worsen further

With the surge of floodwater from upstream in Teesta and Dharla rivers, the flood situation in Lalmonirhat has worsened.

Meanwhile, due to the onrush of water in the Jamuna, around 500 homesteads have been washed away by erosion in Manikganj. 

In Lalmonirhat, the flood situation worsened yesterday as the water level was rising in the Teesta and Dharla rivers. Many fresh areas were flooded yesterday due to onrushing water from India in the last few days.

Officials of Water Development Board (WDB) in Lalmonirhat said the flood situation at 80 villages in the Teesta and Dharla river basin areas worsened yesterday due to onrushing water from upstream.

The Teesta River was flowing above the danger level at Kawnia point and Dharla River was flowing only one centimeter below the danger mark at Kulaghat point at noon yesterday, WDB officials said.

Over 50,000 people in 80 villages of 16 unions under five upazilas in the district have been facing scarcity of food and pure drinking water, as the surrounding areas are submerged in three to four feet of water.

Fazlar Rahman, 52, a flood-affected villager of Gobordhan village under Aditmari upazila, said 3,000 people of 600 families in the village under Mohishkhocha union were suffering due to increase of flood water in the last two days.

Mosaddek Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of Mohishkhocha UP, said Gobordhan, Balapara and Kutirpar villages of his union were badly affected by the flood water, adding that he has requested the administration for relief materials.

“We have been passing our days taking dry food like chira, gur, muri and bread as we can't cook due to the flood water in our houses,” said Ayesha Begum, 45, of Bagdora village in Lalmonirhat Sadar. They are suffering due to shortage of pure drinking water as the tube-wells have gone under flood water.   

In Manikganj, due to the erosion by the river Jamuna, around 500 homesteads in eight villages of two unions under Daulatpur upazila were washed away by the Jamuna in the last two weeks.

The villages are Chuadanga, Jelepara, Charbanga, Uttarkhanda, Sheikhpara and Subuddia under Bachamara union, and Kathaltoli, Lalpur, Beparipara, Bagpara and Mandalpara villages under Charkatari union.

Hundreds acres of cropland and many infrastructures, including haats, bazars and educational institutions, are now under threat of erosion. 

During a visit to the villages of Bachamara union last week, this correspondent found that some families were going to safer places with their belongings.

Rokeya Begum of Charbanga village, who has been staying at Amena Khatun Girls' School with her family members for the last 14 days after her homestead was eroded, said she did not get any help from any government or non-government organisation.

Abdul Latif, chairman of Bachamara Union Parishad, said at least 300 families of Chuadanga, Jelepara, Charbanga, Uttarkhanda, Sheikhpara, Subuddia under the union were washed away into the river in the last couple of weeks. He did not get help from any government or non-government organisaion for the erosion affected families, he added.

The list of erosion victims was sent to the office of Mohammad Shafiur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer of Daulatpur.

At least 100 families of Shredharnagar, Kushta and Mailagi villages under Sadar union of Ghior upazila lost their homesteads due to erosion by the Dhaleswari River in the last one month. Mailagi government shelter and Ghior-Daulatpur-Nagarpur road are now under threat.