Flood in 4 districts turns serious

The overall flood situation in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Sirajganj and Jamalpur districts has worsened further following the gushing water from the upstream and incessant rains.

The floodwaters have inundated fresh areas of the four districts, halting academic activities at hundreds of educational institutions.

According to reports reaching the UNB desk, the water levels of all the rivers, including Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Jamuna and Dudhkumar in the three districts continued to rise due to the onrush of water and heavy downpour.

The flood hit more than one lakh people in four upazilas of Lalmonirhat, over 1.7 lakh people of 250 villages under five upazilas of Kurigram, more than one lakh people in Sirajganj district and one lakh inhabitants in Jamalpur.

In Lalmonirhat, over one lakh people of the Teesta basin were trapped in floodwaters.

At least 36 villages of 16 unions under Hatibandha, Kaliganj, Aditmari and Sadar upazilas remained under water for the past four days.

The water of the Teesta River was flowing 30 cm above the danger level at Kulaghat point while five cm lower from the red mark at Doani point on Wednesday morning.

Thousands of families were marooned under floodwaters as embankments in Kutirpar area in Aditmari upazila broke down.

Water development board Dalia division Executive Engineer Mostafizur Rahman said the flow of water has decreased slightly as India closed 10 gates of its Gojaldoba Barrage.

To control the water, the Teesta Barrage Authorities have opened all gates of the barrage at Dalia point, according to sources at the local office of Bangladesh Water Development Board.

The flood-affected people were suffering much for lack of pure drinking water, sanitation, food and shelters.

State Minister for Social Welfare Ministry Nuruzzaman Ahmed has distributed relief goods among 400 flood victims of Char Bairati area this morning. But most of the sufferers in 63 chars got no government relief, many of them claimed.

In Kurigram, fresh areas went under water due to the increase in water levels of all the rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar.

The Brahmaputra was flowing 32 cm above the danger level at Chilmari point while the Dharala 25 cm above the danger mark at the Bridge point.

More than 1.7 lakh people of over 250 villages, including chars of 35 unions, under Ulipur, Chilmari, Roumari, Rajibpur, Nageshwari and Sadar upazilas were hit hard by the flood.

The scarcity of food and pure drinking water has turned acute in the flood-affected areas.

Waterborne diseases were spreading fast in the flood-hit areas while no relief or medicine reached the victims yet.

More than 150 educational institutions were shut down following the flood, locals said, adding that 771 hectares of cropland were inundated.

Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram Abu Saleh Mohammad Ferdous Khan said some 2250 tonnes of rice and Tk 5 lakh in cash were allocated for the flood-affected people. "All preparations have been taken to face the flood situation." he said.

In Sirajganj, the flood situation in five upazilas -- Kazipur, Shahzadpur, Belkuchi, Chouhali and Sadar - has taken a serious turn following the rise in water level of the Jamuna River, worsening the woes of the flood-affected people.

Fresh areas went under water as the Jamuna water was flowing 63 cm above the red mark at 9:00 am Wednesday.

Several hundred acres of cropland were inundated by the floodwater.

In Jamalpur, six unions of Islampur, Dewanganj, Madarganj and Sarishabari upazilas newly went under water as the Jamuna River was flowing 78 cm above the danger level at Bahadurabad Ghat point.

Besides, 77 hectares of seedbeds, 133 hectares of Aus paddy and 449 hectares of vegetable fields were inundated by the floodwaters in Islampur, Dewanganj and Sarishabari upazilas, said Abu Hanif, training officer at the local Department of Agricultural Extension office.

The local administration has, meanwhile, allocated 130 tonnes of rice, Tk 2.2 lakh in cash and 2,000 dry foods for the flood-hit people in four upazilas of the district.

Seventy seven medical teams have been formed so far, said Civil Surgeon Dr Md Mushair-ul-Islam (Ratan) adding that a team is working in each union.

District Education Officer (Secondary) of Jamalpur Mokhlesur Rahman said second terminal examinations have been postponed at 29 high schools and madrasas in six upazilas of the district.

Moreover, some 119 government primary schools were declared shut down in the six upazila for flood waters, said district primary education officer Md Shahidul Islam.