Over 45,000 marooned
Thousands of people have been badly affected as five upazilas in Bogura and Gaibandha were hit by sudden flood caused by onrush of water from upstream for over a week.
In Bogura, water level in the Jamuna river was flowing 18 centimetres above its danger mark at Mathurapara point in Sariakandi upazila on Wednesday, Bogura Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Hasan Mahmud said.
Flash flood damaged around 936 hectares of cropland in Sariakandi, Sonatala and Dhunat upazilas in the district, affecting nearly 45 thousand people at different villages.
Besides, at least 13 primary schools in the flood affected areas have remained closed for almost a week due to a sharp rise in water level in Sariakandi upazila.
Meanwhile, thousands of people in Jamuna river basin areas are facing acute crisis of pure drinking water due to water-logging.
The sudden flood engulfed at least 29 villages in Sariakandi, marooning nearly 35 thousand people.
“We have remained marooned for the last 10 days and due to lack of boat we can't go out of our homes,” Md Bokul, 56, of Ghughumari village under Chandanbaisa union, said, adding that they were facing crisis of drinking water as most of the tube-wells went under water.
Housemaid Rina Aktar, 39, of Ghughumari village, said, “I do not have any food in my house to feed my children. I could not manage foodstuff as I failed to find any work due to the flood.”
Sariakandi Upazila Education Officer Rafiqul Alam said parents in Jamuna river basin areas have refrained from sending their kids to school as water entered at least 21 primary schools in the upazila.
Sariakandi Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Shahaduzzaman said nearly 575 hectares of cropland were submerged by floodwater, affecting about 4, 000 farmers.
Bogura Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Deputy Director Protul Chandra said crops in 936 hectares of land have been totally damaged due to the flash flood in three upazilas.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Abu Hena said they have distributed 30 tonnes of rice and 2,000 packets of dry foods in Sariakandi and 10 tonnes rice each in Sonatala and Dhunat upazilas.
Away in Gaibandha, flash flood has submerged vast char areas in Fulchhari and Saghata upazilas as water in the Jamuna is flowing eight centimetres above the danger mark.
Surging water of Jamuna has breached 200 feet of the flood control enbankment at Purbo Kanchipara village, inundating about 350 hectares of croplands in Kanchipara and Uriya unions in Fulchhari, Uriya Union Parishad Chairman Mahatabuddin said.
Gaibandha WDB Executive Engineer Mahbubur Rahman said they have already taken initiatives to repair the embankment.
Gaibandha DAE Deputy Director AKM Ruhul Amin said about 1,732 hectares of Aman fields, 21 hectares of Aman seedbeds and vegetables on 15 hectares of land have been totally submerged by floodwater.
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