Flood: Jamuna swelling, most other rivers receding

New areas of Sirajganj district has been flooded following a swelling of Jamuna river whilst water levels in most flood-affected districts in the north and north-eastern parts of the country continued to recede today.

Peoples’ suffering continues as many of them left their homes along with their cattle, goats, hens and other pets and took shelter in safe areas and many of these people have still not been able to return as water has not fully receded from their homes.

Read More: Flood-Affected North: Crises of food, drinking water worsen misery

In Sirajganj, the flood situation has worsened following a rise in the Jamuna water level this morning, according to UNB.

"The Jamuna river was flowing 146 centimetres above the danger level at Sirajganj point at 6:00am," said executive engineer of Water Development Board (WDB) in Sirajganj Syed Hasan Imam.

Fresh areas were inundated as water level of the Jamuna River had risen by 19 centimetres in the last 24 hours, he said adding that low-lying areas of Sadar, Kajipur, Belkuchi, Chouhali and Shahjadpur upazilas remained submerged by Jamuna water since Tuesday.

In Kurigram, the flood crisis continues even though water levels have come down by 18cm at Dharla river, 11cm at Teesta, 11cm at Dudhkumar and 10cm at Brahmaputra in last 24 hours till 12noon.

However even with the receding water levels, water of the Dharla river at Dharla Bridge Point is flowing 73cm above danger mark, Dudhkumor river is flowing 3cm above danger mark at Nunkhawa Ghat point of Sadar upazila and Brahmaputra river is flowing 77cm above danger mark at Chilmari Ghat at Chilmari upazila, our Kurigram correspondent reports quoting sources at Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).

Meanwhile, the Teesta river is currently flowing 102cm below the danger mark at Kaunia Ghat point, according to WDB.

In Lalmonirhat, water of Teesta River at Teesta Barrage point in Hatibandha upazila is now flowing below danger mark, our Lalmonirhat correspondent reports quoting Executive Engineer Krishna Kamal Sarkar of Lalmonirhat WDB. 

The water of Dharla river at Kulaghat point of Sadar upazila is also now flowing below danger mark, the official said.

In Sunamganj, water of the Surma river in Sunamganj district is now flowing at 55cm coming down from yesterday’s 69cm, our Moulvibazar correspondent reports quoting Abu Bakar Siddik Bhuiyan, executive engineer of Sunamganj WDB.

Farmers in the district are counting losses as, 7,771 hectares of Aman cropland and 1,006 hectares of seeds have been destroyed in flood, said Zayedul Haque, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension.

A total of 24 people were killed in the last 3 days in different districts.