Published on 12:00 AM, September 12, 2018

Thousands marooned by flood

Teesta flowing above danger level while water level rises in Dharla

A man sits on a cot as floodwater enters his house at Gobordhan village in Mahishkhocha union under Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat yesterday. Photo: Star

Over twenty thousand people at 40 villages in chars and river basins in five upazilas were marooned by flash flood caused by rise in the water levels of the Teesta and Dharla rivers yesterday.

Vast areas of cropfields with Aman paddy plants went under water at the affected villages in 15 unions. The water level of the Teesta river was flowing above the danger mark while the Dharla river water level was below the danger mark yesterday.

District Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Abullah Al-Mamun said the Teesta river was flowing 15 centimetres above the danger level of 52.60 centimetres at Teesta Barrage point of Hatibandha upazila at dawn yesterday, but it was flowing only two centimetres above the danger level yesterday noon, while the Dharla river was flowing only three centimetres below the danger mark of 31.20 centimetres at Shimulbari point in Sadar upazila.

Abdullah Al-Mamun told this correspondent that the level of the Teesta river increased on Monday night and at dawn yesterday due to onrush of water from upstream India. The level decreased later yesterday, he said. “The Teesta water level will come down under the danger mark by Wednesday morning,” he said, adding that the floodwater was entering the houses in chars and river basin villages.

A woman catches fish in floodwater at her courtyard at the same village. The photos were taken yesterday. Photo: Star

“The water from the Teesta river entered our houses while we were sleeping on Monday night,” said flood affected Moslema Begum, 45, of Gobordhan village in Aditmari upazila. “We took shelter on the government road on Tuesday morning,” he said.

“As floodwater entered our house, I had to spend the day on the cot yesterday,” said Mazibar Rahman, 50, of the same village.

Mahishkhocha Union Parishad Chairman Mosaddeque Hossain Chowdhury told this correspondent that at least seven thousand people in his union were marooned by flash flood from the Teesta river. “We rescued many people and took them to safer places on Monday night,” he said.

Community Health Provider of Gobordhan Community Clinic in Aditmari upazila Abdul Hakim said he distributed water purifying tablets to around one thousand families yesterday. “We will distribute oral saline and other medicines after the floodwater recedes,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Shafiul Arif said officials of the district and upazila administrations visited the flash flood hit areas yesterday and sanctioned dry food for affected people immediately.