Surma crosses danger level, Jamuna erodes embankment

The flood situation in Sunamganj remains serious as the main rivers were flowing above the danger mark at several points, while the Jamuna continues to erode the flood control embankment in Bogra. The situation improved slightly in Lalmonirhat as the Teesta and Dharla rivers were flowing below the danger mark.

Our correspondent reports that in Sunamganj the Surma, Jadukata and Cholti rivers were flowing above the danger level yesterday.

Md Anwar Hosain, metre reader of the Water Development Board (WDB) Sunamganj, said the Surma at Ghagot point was flowing 52 cm above the danger level yesterday.

Some villagers have been evacuated from several flood-hit areas while many others are stranded. The shortage of drinking water and food intensified the sufferings of the marooned people in Barapara, Pashchim Bazar, Maachh Bazar, Shologhar and Nabinagar under Sadar upazila, Nowapara, Mohabbatpur, Chokbazar, Payekpara, Lakkhipur, Kushiura and Voktarpur under Doarabazar upazila and Maharam, Lakmar, Lamakata under Tahirpur upazila, and two villages in Biswambharpur upazila.

Floodwater engulfed low-lying areas of the district town and Sadar and Tahirpur upazilas, and entered Biswambharpur, Doarabazar, Chhatak and Jamalganj upazilas a week ago.

M Idris Ali, chairman of Doarabazar upazila, said links between Lakhipur, Banglabazar and Narsinghpur unions and the upazila have been cut-off. The Balicherra dyke has been damaged and water has submerged six villages, and 18 points of the embankment have become risky. Most of the families living along riverside are in fear of losing their croplands and homesteads. Shemgaon Government Primary School is under 3 feet of water, and all schools and colleges in Doarabazar upazila have been closed, he added.

Dipok Kumar Das, deputy-divisional engineer of WDB Sunamganj, said floodwater has marooned around fifty thousand people in Sunamganj.

In Bogra, the Jamuna River has been eroding the flood control embankment and adjacent spur at Shaharabari in Bhandarbari union under Dhunat upazila for the last few days.

Around 30 metres of a spur and the flood control embankment of the area were eroded till yesterday as the water level of the Jamuna has risen by 10 cm in the last 24 hours. WDB sources said they have been trying to prevent erosion by dumping sand bags near the spur.

Belal Hossain, chairman of Bhandarbari union, said no action was taken by the authorities concerned to repair the collapsed spur. Consequently, there is a threat of erosion of croplands and homesteads in the villages under the union, he added.

The flood situation improved slightly in Lalmonirhat yesterday as the water level of the Teesta and Dharla rivers was below the danger mark, though some areas are still submerged, reports our correspondent.

Abu Bakkar, executive engineer of Lalmonirhat Water Development Board (WDB), said the flood situation had improved yesterday, and will be better on Thursday if there is no rain or onrush of water from upstream.

The people who took shelter on government roads, schools and colleges are returning home, but many areas are still submerged in one to two feet of water.

Hasmat Ali, 65, a villager of Char Narsingh under Aditmari upazila, said, “We have been facing scarcity of food and drinking water.”

“We are also suffering from waterborne diseases, and health workers are providing us medicines,” said Halima Bewa, 60, of Gobordhan village under Aditmari upazila.

Abdul Hakim, a community health provider of Gobordhan Community Clinic in Aditmari upazila, said health workers are providing water purifying tablets, bleaching powder, oral saline, and other medicines to the people by going door-to-door in the flood affected areas. “We are also telling the people how to purify water, and to stop children from bathing in flood water,” he added.

Mahbub Alam, health inspector in Lalmonirhat, said a medical team has been working in the flood affected areas. “We didn't get any diarrhoea case but we are getting dysentery, fever and eczema patients in the flood affected areas,” he said, adding the medical team will take prompt step if any diarrhoea case is found.     

Jabbar Miah, 55, of Bagdora village under Lalmonirhat Sadar said, there are two thousand people in the village, but they did not get any help from the government or any non-government organisation till yesterday.

Union parishad chairmen and members, and the District Relief and Rehabilitation Office, have been distributing relief materials, 35 tonnes of rice and dry foods among the flood and erosion affected people, but it is not adequate.

Idris Ali, Lalmonirhat district relief and rehabilitation officer, said his office has sent an urgent letter to the ministry concerned, seeking more relief materials, especially 200 tonnes of rice.