RAJSHAHI, July 20, 2020 (BSS) – With continuous onrushing of water from upstream over the past one week, water level in Ganges basin has increased further causing escalation of a flood situation in char (riverbed) and other low-lying areas in the region.
Local office of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has recorded rising trend of water level at almost all points like Pankha, Rajshahi and Hardinge Bridge in the past 24 hours ending 9 am today, said Kohinur Islam, Executive Engineer of BWDB.
The water level in Ganges further rose to two centimeter (CM) and five cm at Pankha in Chapainawabganj and at Rajshahi stations respectively during the past 24 hours but was flowing 185 cm and 190 cm below the danger levels at the two stations, he added.
Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, Executive Engineer of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), said the water level in Atrai River increased 47 centimeters at Mohadevpur point in Naogaon district but flowing 235 cm below the danger mark while it is flowing 216 cm below the danger level at Atrai point this morning.
Of the 13 river points monitored in almost eight districts under Rajshahi division, water levels increased at seven stations, while decreased at five stations and remained static at one point in the last 24 hours.
Engineer Bhuiyan said water levels in the Jamuna River have been receding continuously for the last couple of days but were still flowing above danger marks at Sariakandi in Bogura and Kazipur and Sirajganj stations.
The Gur River was also flowing 57 cm above the danger mark at Singra in Natore with rise of four cm afresh while the Atrai River flowing 100 cm above the danger mark at Baghabari in Sirajganj district point.
Many areas have been waterlogged and flood-affected due to damage of flood control embankments at different points of Atrai, Raninagar and Manda Upazilas in Naogaon and Bagmara Upazila in Rajshahi district.
Around 50 villages under Atrai Upazila have been affected by flood water due to devouring of flood control embankments caused by fresh flood in Atrai River.
Azad Pramanik, 54, a farmer of Bhawanipur village, said his newly transplanted aush paddy on two bigha of land and one bigha of seedbeds for aman paddy were affected by the deluge.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Kawser Hossain said 1,375 hectares of aush and 270 hectares of aman seedbeds have so far been affected.
“We are preparing a list of the affected households and assessing the extent of damage at present,” said Sanaul Islam, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, adding relief materials are also being distributed among the affected people.
Another ten villages have also become waterlogged due to damaging of some parts of Nandaibari-Krishnapur-Malanchi flood control embankment on Little Jamuna River in Raninagar Upazila of the same district that inundated many adjacent areas besides affecting standing crops and fish farming ponds.
Rezaul Islam, 48, a fish farmer of Malanchi village, said his whole fish farm in two ponds valued at around TK 10 lakh were washed away.
Around 15,649 hectares of croplands have so far become submerged by the floodwaters in different districts under Rajshahi division, officials said.
Various standing crops like newly transplanted aush and aman paddy, aman seedbeds, direct seeded aman and vegetables were affected amid rising of water in different rivers in the districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Bogura and Sirajgonj.
Sudhendra Nath Roy, Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said they have recorded standing crops on 8,569 hectares of land affected in Rajshahi, Naogaon and Natore districts.
In Bogura district, crops on around 374 hectares of land of 2,485 farmers have, so far, been affected by the flood water as its Jamuna River was following 97 cm above the danger mark at Sariakandi point.
Standing crops on around 6,715 hectares of land of 39,640 farmers were also affected in Sirajganj district as its Jamuna River was flowing above danger marks at all the Sirajgonj, Baghabari and Kajipur points.