Teesta dyke collapses flooding seven villages in Rangpur
A Teesta river embankment in Gannarpar area under Gangachara upazila of Rangpur district collapsed yesterday morning, flooding seven villages and aman paddy fields.
Meanwhile, flood situation in five upazilas of Lalmonirhat district further worsened as fresh areas went under water yesterday.
A correspondent quoted local people of Gannarpar area in Gangachara upazila as saying that the embankment collapsed at around 11:00am due to heavy pressure of water as the Teesta continued to swell.
Sources in the Water Development Board (WDB) said the water level in the Teesta marked a further rise yesterday and the river was flowing 4 centimetres above its danger mark.
Gangachara Sadar Union Parishad Chairman Asaduzzaman said the dyke, built by Water Development Board, collapsed during last year's flood. Local people repaired the dyke through voluntary service to protect around 10 thousand people living along the riverside in the upazila, he added.
He further said local people urged the Water Development Board to build a spur to protect the embankment, but the board did not do the job on the plea of fund shortage.
Contacted, Executive Engineer Anwar Hossain of Rangpur WDB said they could not repair the dyke due to shortage of fund. He said the authorities concerned will sanction money this year to repair the embankment.
The demand for building a spur at Gannapar point was not justified, the engineer said, adding that if they build a spur there a vast tract of land will be eroded at Haragachh point.
Our Lalmonirhat correspondent reported that with inundation of fresh areas along the Teesta and Dharla rivers, the flood situation in the district further worsened yesterday.
The flood-hit upazilas are Hatibandha, Kaliganj, Aditmari, Patgram and Sadar upazilas.
Over 75 thousand people at 60 villages in 13 unions of the upazilas have been marooned due to flash flood caused by heavy downpour and swelling Teesta and Dharla rivers.
According to Lalmonirhat WDB sources, Teesta was flowing 4 centtimetres above its danger level at Dowani point in Hatibandha upazila while Dharla was flowing two centimeters below its danger level at Kulaghat point in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila yesterday morning.
Affected farmers claimed aman paddy on 2,000 hectares of land has gone under water in 13 unions while Deputy Director (DD) of district agriculture extension department Abdul Mozid said aman paddy on a total of 1200 hectares of land is now under flood water.
Of the total land, 900 hectares are in Hatibandha upazila, 250 hectares in Aditmari upazila and 50 hectares in Kaliganj upazila, he added.
If food water does not recede in a day or two, aman plants will get damaged and farmer will face heavy losses, he said.
In Joypurhat, flash flood caused by heavy downpour marooned at least 25,000 people in different upazilas of Joypurhat district yesterday, reports UNB.
Aman paddy fields in the low-lying areas of Sadar, Panchbibi, Akkelpur and Khetlal upazilas have gone under water.
Sources in the Department of Agricultural Extension said aman paddy on 500 hectares of land is now under flood water in the four upazilas.
The worst affected areas are Rangta Choudhripara, Khomaripara, Mahmudpur, Ghonapara, Malopara, Dharki, Shotahat, Baniapara and Monnapara.
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