Flood in north: Over 60,000 stranded in two districts
Over 60,000 people in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram have been marooned by floodwater as vast tracks of low-lying areas in northern districts have been inundated due to heavy rainfall and onrushing water from upstream.
Many of the flood-hit people have left their homes and taken shelter on roads and embankments with their cattle and poultry.
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Farmers are facing a double blow as their vegetables are at the risk of being destroyed by the flood.
All five upazilas of Lalmonirhat, and Rajarhat, Ulipur, and Chilmari upazilas of Kurigram are affected, said local administrations of the districts, adding that over 60,000 people remain stranded there.
However, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre in a bulletin yesterday forecast the flood situation may improve in next two days.
The Teesta was flowing 33cm above the danger level at Kaunia in Rangpur yesterday, according to the officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
"Water level of the Teesta has raised due to heavy rainfall and onrush of water from upstream," said Shunil Kumar, executive engineer of BWDB in Lalmonirhat.
"Water started to get into my home on Saturday night. My yard has gone under three to four-feet deep water by this [Sunday] morning," said Tahera Bewa of Gatiashyam village in Kurigram's Rajarhat upazila.
"Now we have taken shelter on a road near my house," she told The Daily Star yesterday afternoon.
"I planted vegetables on one bigha of land. I fear that all my vegetables, which have gone under water, may be destroyed," said Shamsul Alam of Teesta village of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.
Around 500 metre stretch of railway line in Teesta Rail Station area of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila was submerged, snapping rail communications between Rangpur and Lalmonirhat for around seven hours since 6:00am yesterday, said Abdullah Al Mamun, Lalmonirhat railway divisional commercial officer.
The low-lying areas in Rangpur and Nilphamari have also been flooded.
"We are facing huge challenges to protect our livestock and poultry," said Akhtar Alam of Chhota Khata village under Nilphamari's Dimla upazila.
All 44 sluicegates of the Teesta Barrage are open to manage the pressure of water.
Mohammad Mostafizar Rahman, in-charge of the Rangpur Meteorological Office, reported that 130mm rainfall was recorded in the district on Saturday, which was the same the day before. Heavy rainfall is expected in the coming days, he added.
In Dinajpur, around 330mm of rainfall has been recorded over the past two days.
In Sirajganj, the Jamuna has been swelling rapidly due to the onrush of water from upstream posing the risk of flooding low-lying areas.
"If such a situation continues, my home will go under water," said Sharif Uddin of Choto Boyra village in Sirajganj Sadar upazila.
However, Nazmul Hossain, sub-divisional engineer of BWDB in Sirajganj, said there is no possibility of flood in the district as the situation will become normal within the next three days.
[Our correspondents from respective districts contributed to this report.]
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