Flood hits over 2.5 lakh in Gaibandha, Kurigram

Flood hit Purbo Batikamari village in Sadar upazila of Gaibandha yesterday. Heavy rain followed by onrush of water from the upstream have affected over 2.5 lakh people in eight upazilas of Gaibandha and Kurigram districts.Photo: STAR

Flash flood caused by heavy rain in the last few days in Gaibandha and Kurigram districts has left over 2.5 lakh people marooned.
Downpour in the last two days followed by onrush of water from the upstream flooded three upazilas of Gaibandha, reports our correspondent.
Low lying areas of Jamuna river basin in Sadar, Phulchhari and Shaghata upazilas went under water affecting over 1.5 lakh people, said Water Development Board (WDB) sources.
At least 15 villages in Sadar, 18 in Phulchhari and 13 in Shaghata have been flooded. Phulchhari and Kamarjani markets went under water.
Crops including aman paddy, pulse and vegetables on about 4,030 hectares of land were washed away by the floodwater, said Mir Abdur Razzak, deputy director of agriculture extension department, Gaibandha.
A flood control embankment at Ratanpur in Phulchhari upazila faces a serious threat of collapse due to erosion, he said.
During a visit, this correspondent found a number of villagers leaving their homesteads and cattle for safer places in fear of erosion.
Hafizur Rahman of Kabilpur village in Pulchhari said the floodwater damaged aman paddy on two bighas of his land.
Mosharraf Hossain, chairman of Shaghata union, said the flood affected people in this union have taken shelter on road and embankment.
Away in Kurigram, more than one lakh people remained marooned due to flood in 20 unions of six upazilas, reports our correspondent.
The flood, caused by heavy rain, has affected the people of over 300 chars and villages of Brahmaputra River basin in Nageswari, Sadar, Ulipur, Chilmari, Roumari and Rajibpur upazilas.
The water of Brahmaputra was flowing 35 centimeters above danger mark yesterday afternoon, said Kurigram WDB sources.
The flood affected people of Naryanpur and Noonkhawa unions in Nageswari upazila, Ghogadaho, Jattrapur and Pachgachhi unions in Sadar, Begamganj, Shaheber Alga, Buraburi and Hatia unions in Ulipur, Austamirchar, Raniganj, Chilmari and Ramna unions in Chilmari upazila, Datbhanga, Bandaber and Jadurchar unions in Roumari and Rajibpur, Kodalkathi and Mohanganj unions in Rajibpur, are facing serious problem due to acute crisis of drinking water, foods and fodder.
T-Aman paddy on about 14,000 hectors of land was flooded, said Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources.
Abul Kasem Master, 66, of Bhatigram village in Ulipur upazila, said “About 100 acres of cropland in my area went under water during the period”.
“All saplings of the paddy will be damaged if the floodwater does not go down within next three days”, he said.
Md Shohrab Hossain Chand, chairman of Buraburi union in Ulipur, said almost all the villages in the union have been inundated by swelling of the river.
Deputy commissioner Md Habibur Rahman said Tk one lakh and 100 metric tonnes of rice have been allocated for the flood victims in the six upazilas.