Floods spread to fresh areas

A passenger holds the handlebar while the rickshaw puller pushes the vehicle in ankle-deep water at Agargaon in the capital yesterday. The street has been under water for over a week and no government agency has done anything about it. Photo: Amran Hossain

More villages and croplands were inundated and over 200 families displaced due to river erosion and an increase in water levels of the Teesta and other rivers in Lalmonirhat, Jamalpur and Netrakona yesterday.

Meanwhile, strong currents in the Padma interrupted ferry services on the Mawa-Kawrakandi route, causing severe traffic congestion and leaving many stranded on both ends for hours.

At least 40 villages in five upazilas of Lalmonirhat were flooded as the Teesta was flowing above the danger level.

The low-lying areas of these villages went under water due to onrush of water from upstream, leaving at least 4,000 people marooned, Water Development Board (WDB) sources said.

The Dharla river also swelled but was still flowing a centimetre below the danger level at Kulaghat point in Lalmonirhat Sadar.

“We are keeping open all 52 gates of the Teesta Barrage due to heavy currents from upstream,” said Mahbubur Rahman, executive engineer of the WDB at Dalia.

People from the flood-hit areas took shelter on the WDB dam and nearby roads. With no relief from any government or non-government organisations, they were faced with an acute crisis of food and drinking water.

In Jamalpur, two minor girls drowned in Jonail village under Madarganj upazila yesterday. Their bodies were recovered from the Bhurbhure beel (wetland).

Water level of the Jamuna river was flowing 37 centimetres above the danger mark at Bahadurabad Ghat point yesterday, increasing by 3 centimetres from the previous day, according to sources in the WDB.

Incessant rain and onrush of water from upstream also caused flood in many areas of the district, added the  sources.

According to sources in the Agriculture Extension Department, a total of 9,208 hectares of cropland went under water in the district yesterday.

Islampur was the worst-hit upazila in the district where at least 3,000 families were marooned by floodwater, said Masumur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Islampur.

The Someshwari and the Dhanu rivers in Netrakona devoured over 200 houses and 500 acres of cropland, and rendered around 1,000 people homeless.

Deputy Commissioner of Netrakona Tarun Kanti Shikder visited some affected areas in the district yesterday and distributed Tk 40,000 and two metric tonnes of rice among the affected people.

However, the flood-hit people there said they needed more relief materials.

(Our correspondents from Madaripur, Jamalpur, Lalmonirhat and Netrakona contributed to this report)