Flood engulfs fresh areas

The country's flood situation is now swaying between two extremes. The flood situation has started to improve in lowlands adjacent to the Brahmaputra and Jamuna in Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra and Nilphamari, but has worsened in Tangail, Jessore, and Chandpur. In Gaibandha, the flood situation improved further in chars and Brahmaputra river basins till this morning, as the rising Brahmaputra marked a fall in the last 24 hours. Sources with the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said the water level of the Brahmaputra decreased
by 13cm. Despite thereceding water level, over three lakh people of Sundarganj, Sadar, Phulchhari, and Shaghata upazilas are still marooned. Crops including Aus paddy, transplanted Aman paddy, seed-beds of T-Aman paddy, jute, and summer vegetables on 3,440 hectares of land have gone under floodwaters. Gaibandha deputy commissioner (DC) M Abdus Samad said the disaster management and relief ministry has so far sanctioned 1,050 tonnes of rice as general relief and Tk. 41 lakh for the flood victims to meet their urgent needs.
In Jamalpur, the water level of the Jamuna has receded considerably, even though the river is still flowing 87cm above the danger level. In the past 60 hours, the water level has fallen by 36cm. This was confirmed by Abdul Mannan, a BWDB official. The district administration expressed hope that the flood situation would improve in the next two to three days if the water level continues to fall.
The flood situation in Nilphamari district is improving. Till the filing of this report, the Teesta was flowing 30cm below the danger level. Around 20,000 people, however, are still stranded.  River erosion continues in Dimla upazila. The flood situation in 11 villages of the upazila has not improved much. Relief materials are being distributed among the flood-affected people of the area.
Our Kurigram correspondent reports: The overall flood situation in Kurigram has remained unchanged, even though the water levels of the Dharla, Teesta, Brahmaputra and Dudhkumar have come down within the last 24 hours.
The Dharla and Brahmaputra are flowing above 35cm at Dharla bridge point and 45cm at Chilmari ghat point, respectively. The Teesta and the Dudhkumar are flowing at 121cm in Kaunia Ghat point and at 143 cm in Noonkhawa Ghat point under their danger levels, local WDB sources said.
Abdul Mottalib Molla, district relief and rehabilitation officer (in-charge), said “We have distributed 1,275 metric tonnes of rice, Tk 38 lakh, and 2,000 packets of dry food .”
Our Tangail correspondent adds: The flood situation has worsened in Tangail. Seven among the districts’ 12 upazilas have been severely affected. At least 100 villages under Tangail Sadar, Bhuapur, Gopalpur, Kalihati, Dhanbari, Nagorpur and Delduwar upazilas have been inundated by floodwaters with a rise in the water levels of the mighty Jamuna, Dhaleswari and its tributaries. The Jamuna is flowing above the danger level in Bhuapur point. About one lakh people have been marooned and over 100 educational institutions closed.
In Jessore, incessant rain during the past few days has wreaked havoc in two upazilas -- Keshabpur and Monirampur -- of the district, said our district correspondent.
As many as 40,000 people of 30 villages of Keshabpur upazila have been marooned due to serious waterlogging caused by torrential rain.
 Vast tracts of cropland in the upazila have been inundated by rainwater. Aush paddy on 1,200 hectares of land, 905 hectares of vegetable land, 600 hectares of jute land, 160 hectares of Ropa Aman land and 390 hectares of other cropland are now under water here.
Our Chandpur correspondent reports: The Meghna river is flowing 15cm above the danger level in Chandpur belt due to the onrush of flood waters from upper riparian areas.  The floodwaters are flowing into the Bay of Bengal through Chandpur. Following this rise in the water level of the river, many houses in Chandpur Sadar and Haimchar upazilas have already become submerged.
Erosion by the Meghna River has intensified in these upazilas, which is threatening the Chandpur Town Protection embankment, posing risk to the town.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, the Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Surma-Kushiyara are falling. The Ganges, however, has remained steady, while the Padma is still rising. The Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Surma-Kushiyara may continue to fall in the next 72 hours.
In Sirajganj, the flood situation is likely to continue to improve in the next 72 hours. The Padma may rise in the next 48 hours, which may cause a slight deterioration in the flood situation in lowlands adjacent to Rajbari, Manikganj, Munshiganj and Shariatpur districts.
The government has adequate relief materials, relief and disaster management minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya assured reporters while distributing relief products among the flood-affected people in Tangail.
“No irregularities would be tolerated in relief disbursement,” the minister said.

Flood engulfs fresh areas

The countrys flood situation is now swaying between two extremes. The flood situation has started to improve in lowlands adjacent to the Brahmaputra and Jamuna in Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra and Nilphamari, but has worsened in Tangail, Jessore, and Chandpur. In Gaibandha, the flood situation improved further in chars and Brahmaputra river basins till this morning, as the rising Brahmaputra marked a fall in the last 24 hours. Sources with the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said the water level of the Brahmaputra decreased by 13cm. Despite thereceding water level, over three lakh people of Sundarganj, Sadar, Phulchhari, and Shaghata upazilas are still marooned. Crops including Aus paddy, transplanted Aman paddy, seed-beds of T-Aman paddy, jute, and summer vegetables on 3,440 hectares of land have gone under floodwaters. Gaibandha deputy commissioner (DC) M Abdus Samad said the disaster management and relief ministry has so far sanctioned 1,050 tonnes of rice as general relief and Tk. 41 lakh for the flood victims to meet their urgent needs. In Jamalpur, the water level of the Jamuna has receded considerably, even though the river is still flowing 87cm above the danger level. In the past 60 hours, the water level has fallen by 36cm. This was confirmed by Abdul Mannan, a BWDB official. The district administration expressed hope that the flood situation would improve in the next two to three days if the water level continues to fall. The flood situation in Nilphamari district is improving. Till the filing of this report, the Teesta was flowing 30cm below the danger level. Around 20,000 people, however, are still stranded. River erosion continues in Dimla upazila. The flood situation in 11 villages of the upazila has not improved much. Relief materials are being distributed among the flood-affected people of the area. Our Kurigram correspondent reports: The overall flood situation in Kurigram has remained unchanged, even though the water levels of the Dharla, Teesta, Brahmaputra and Dudhkumar have come down within the last 24 hours. The Dharla and Brahmaputra are flowing above 35cm at Dharla bridge point and 45cm at Chilmari ghat point, respectively. The Teesta and the Dudhkumar are flowing at 121cm in Kaunia Ghat point and at 143 cm in Noonkhawa Ghat point under their danger levels, local WDB sources said. Abdul Mottalib Molla, district relief and rehabilitation officer (in-charge), said We have distributed 1,275 metric tonnes of rice, Tk 38 lakh, and 2,000 packets of dry food . Our Tangail correspondent adds: The flood situation has worsened in Tangail. Seven among the districts 12 upazilas have been severely affected. At least 100 villages under Tangail Sadar, Bhuapur, Gopalpur, Kalihati, Dhanbari, Nagorpur and Delduwar upazilas have been inundated by floodwaters with a rise in the water levels of the mighty Jamuna, Dhaleswari and its tributaries. The Jamuna is flowing above the danger level in Bhuapur point. About one lakh people have been marooned and over 100 educational institutions closed. In Jessore, incessant rain during the past few days has wreaked havoc in two upazilas -- Keshabpur and Monirampur -- of the district, said our district correspondent. As many as 40,000 people of 30 villages of Keshabpur upazila have been marooned due to serious waterlogging caused by torrential rain. Vast tracts of cropland in the upazila have been inundated by rainwater. Aush paddy on 1,200 hectares of land, 905 hectares of vegetable land, 600 hectares of jute land, 160 hectares of Ropa Aman land and 390 hectares of other cropland are now under water here. Our Chandpur correspondent reports: The Meghna river is flowing 15cm above the danger level in Chandpur belt due to the onrush of flood waters from upper riparian areas. The floodwaters are flowing into the Bay of Bengal through Chandpur. Following this rise in the water level of the river, many houses in Chandpur Sadar and Haimchar upazilas have already become submerged. Erosion by the Meghna River has intensified in these upazilas, which is threatening the Chandpur Town Protection embankment, posing risk to the town. According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, the Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Surma-Kushiyara are falling. The Ganges, however, has remained steady, while the Padma is still rising. The Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Surma-Kushiyara may continue to fall in the next 72 hours. In Sirajganj, the flood situation is likely to continue to improve in the next 72 hours. The Padma may rise in the next 48 hours, which may cause a slight deterioration in the flood situation in lowlands adjacent to Rajbari, Manikganj, Munshiganj and Shariatpur districts. The government has adequate relief materials, relief and disaster management minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya assured reporters while distributing relief products among the flood-affected people in Tangail. No irregularities would be tolerated in relief disbursement, the minister said.