The recent floods have isolated Kurigram and Dinajpur from the rest of the country by snapping rail and road networks. The Brahmaputra-Jamuna is rising, along with the smaller rivers, and showing no signs of receding soon. Shortage of safe shelters, food, medicine and fodder for cattle has compounded the misery of the flood-affected people. The situation has become particularly grave for those who have been raising cattle for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, as they could not find any proper shelter and fodder for their cattle. The twin problem of shortage of drinking water and lack of electricity has created mayhem in the flood-hit areas. Power distributors have switched off elctric lines in the fear of short circuits as most electric metres have gone under water.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) in Dhaka said yesterday that the floods were showing was no signs of receding. All northeastern and northern rivers are still on the rise, making life miserable for people living in the char lands of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jampur and Bogra.

As the floodwater is moving downwards, the northern plains, including Naogaon, Joypurhat and Natore districts, are getting affected by fresh floods.  With communication breakdown, it has become harder to provide relief materials to the trapped people.

The number of snakebite cases has increased. Several people have already died of it.

According to the FFWC, the Dharla was flowing 131cm above the danger mark at Kurigram point, the Punarbhaba above 78cm in Dinajpur, the Jamuneswari above 126cm in Badarganj, the Jamuna above 118cm at Bahadurabad point, the Dhaleswari above 37cm in Elasin, the Little Jamuna above 49cm in Naogaon, the Surma above 97cm in Kanaighat, and the Kangsha above 181cm in Jariajanjail till 9am yesterday.

Our Dinajpur Correspondent reports: The situation has not worsened in Dinajpur town, with the water levels of the Punarbhaba and the Atrai becoming stable.

Three people have been swept away by floodwater in Sadar upazila. They are: Humayun Ahmed, 16, Maniya Murmu, 59, and Masudur Rahman, 15.

The Army and the Border Guard Bangladesh, with the help of locals, are trying to repair the town protection dam for the last three days.

All electricity connections have been snapped in all the villages of 13 upazilas. Besides, major parts of the Sadar town is out of electricity for the last two days.In Lalmonirhat: Two people were washed away in Mogolhat area of Sadar upazila yesterday morning. They were identified as Wazed Miah, 46, a resident of Jhari Dhorola village and Aynal Ali, 13, a resident of Etapota village. So far, nine people have drowned in floodwaters in the last three days in the district.

However, the overall flood situation has remained somewhat stable.  Around four lakh people in 35 unions are now facing acute crisis of food, pure

drinking water and medicines. Around 50 houses were washed away by the Teesta and Dhorola rivers early yesterday.  All export and import activities of the Burimari land port, the country’s third largest land port, have remained suspended.

The district administration has already distributed some 9,300 packets of dry food, 197 tonnes of rice and Tk. 5.85 lakh in cash among the flood victims, said Md Shafiul Arif, deputy commissioner of the district.

Rail communication with the district remained suspended for the third consecutive day yesterday.

In Bogra: The strong inflow of water from India has sparked fears of severe flooding in the district. The water level has increased more than 110cm in three days. The Jamuna was flowing above the danger mark of 119cm at the Sariakandi point, which is the highest of all time, at 12 noon yesterday. The river has started to rise fast after India opened all the gates of its Gazaldoba dam.

Under the pressure of excess water, the old dam in Chandanbisha of Saryakandi upazila has started to break down. The water level could increase even further, said sources in the Water Development Board.

Meanwhile, at least 75,000 people have been marooned in Sariakandi, Sonatola and Dhunat upazilas. A total of 73 government primary schools have been closed after water entered their premises.

The district relief office said 15,455 families of Sariakandi, Dhunat and Sonatala upazilas had been affected due to in this phase of the floods.  

Residents of Sariakandi have been given 50 tonnes of rice and Tk. 1 lakh as relief. However, no relief has reached the inhabitants of Dhunat and Sonatala, according to sources.

The executive officer of Sariakandi upazila, Moniruzzaman, said that the downstream of Kajla, Chaluabari, Chandanbisha, Karnibari, Bohail and Hatparpur unions have been flooded due to the increasing water level in the Jamuna river.

 Kutubpur, Kamalpur, Chandanbisha and Karnaribari of Sariakandi upazila have been hit by floods. Besides, Madhupur, Tekani Chukainagar and Pakulla of Sonatala upazila have also gone under water. Floodwater has reached Bhandarbari and Gausibari unions of Dhunat upazila.

According to the information provided by the agriculture department of Bogra, the second phase of floods can result in huge loss of crops. Meanwhile, the crop on 4,835 hectares of land in this region has gone under water. As much as 715 hectares of Aus field, 20 hectares of Aman seed bed, 3,972 hectares of transplanted Aman field and 128 hectares of vegetable field have been submerged.

Locals expressed fear that the dam may collapse at any time. However, Ruhul Amin, an engineer of the Bogra Water Development Board, said the water level is still to penetrate the dam.

In Kurigram: Flood has taken a serious turn here. All communication has broken down through the Kurigram-Nageshwari road as several places have been damaged by floodwater. Four people have been swept away by floodwater. They are: Majibur Rahman, 15, of Bhurungamari upazila, Azhar Ali, 70, of Ulipur upazila, and Abdul Karim, 14, and Fulbanu, 31, of Nageshwari upazila.

At least 2,123 families of different upazilas have lost their houses due to river erosion.

In Natore: The flood situation has worsened in the last 24 hours. The Atrai is flowing 30cm above the danger level at the ferry Ghat point of Singra upazila.

Markets, houses, different establishments and low-lying areas in the district have been inundated by floodwater. The situation will worsen if the  the water level continues to rise, said Shudhangshu Kumar Sarker, executive engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board of the district.

Besides, residents of Nurullapur area under Lalpur upazila are passing days in fear as parts of the flood embankment in the area habe broken down.

In Joypurhat: The situation in Joypurhat has deteriorated as fresh areas have been submerged. The Joypurhat-Bogra highway has gone under water.  With the rise of the Tulshiganga, Chhoto Jamuna and Harabati rivers, fresh areas in Sadar, Panchbibi, Khetlal, Akkelpur have been flooded, affecting thousands of people. Around 7,000 hectares of cropland has gone under water so far and fish of ponds have been washed away.