RAJSHAHI, Aug 27, 2020 (BSS) – Water level in many of the rivers in the Ganges basin recorded a falling trend this morning after remaining steady for the previous couple of days due to declining of onrushing flood water from upstream hilly catchment areas in the past 24 hours.
“We recorded falling and steady trends in many rivers, including Modananda, Ganges, Padma and some of the downstream rivers and tributaries of the Ganges basin today,” Mukhlesur Rahman, Superintending Engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), told BSS this morning.
He said water level of the Ganges River remained steady at Rajshahi and Hardinge Bridge points, while went up by seven centimeter (cm) at Talbaria and receded by three cm at Pankha in Chapainawabganj afresh at 9 am today.
However, Mukhlesur said, the Ganges River was still flowing 168 cm, 183 cm, 109 cm and 70 cm below the danger levels at Pankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria points respectively.
Water level of the Padma River declined by one cm further at Goalundo point, and the river was flowing 12 cm above the danger level at the point this morning, he added.
Of the 30 river points monitored in the Ganges basin today, water levels receded at 16 points, while increased at 10 points and remained stable at four points, according to data of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
However, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 27 points, while above the danger levels at three points.
Korotoa River water level declined by one cm and 10 cm afresh at Chak Rahimpur and at Bogura points respectively and the river was flowing 264 cm and 368 cm below the danger mark at the two points respectively this morning.
Besides, a falling trend of water levels at the three points of the Jamuna River has been continuing for the last couple of days. The water level receded by 12 cm at Sariakandi point in Bogura, 10 cm at Kazipur point in Sirajganj and 11 cm at Sirajgonj point this morning.
FFWC executive engineer Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said the Jamuna River was flowing 46 cm, 41 cm and 50 cm below the danger level at Sariakandi, Kazipur and at Sirajganj points respectively.
He said the Gur River was flowing 37 cm below the danger level at Singra point in Natore with two cm falling further, while the Atrai River was flowing 14 cm below the danger mark at Baghabari point in Sirajganj with eight cm falling further this morning.
Of the 16 river points both in Ganges and Brahmaputra Basins, being monitored in many districts under Rajshahi division regularly, water levels declined at 12 points while increased at one point and remained steady at three points.
However, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at all the 16 points this morning.
Engineer Bhuiyan said all the major rivers in the country are in a falling trend and it may continue in next 72 hours.
Meanwhile, the district and upazila administrations have recorded that around 2.16 lakh households and standing crops on 52,983 hectares of land valued at around Taka 477.29 crore were damaged by the flood water in Rajshahi division.
The local administrations have been distributing relief materials in the worst-affected areas continuously since the flood situation began.
Around 2.16 lakh worst-affected families consisting 9.01 lakh people have, so far, been brought under the relief distribution programme to overcome their livelihood related hardships caused by the flood in different districts under Rajshahi division.
As part of its instant humanitarian assistance to cope with the disastrous situation, the government has already allocated 1,512 tonnes of rice, Taka 37.39 lakh in cash, 16,124 packets of dry-food, Taka 21 lakh for baby food and Taka 40 lakh for animal feed for distribution among the affected families in the division.
Moinul Islam, Additional Commissioner of Rajshahi division, said there are 1,680.5 tonnes of rice, Taka 70.84 lakh, 3,160 packets of dry food, Taka one lakh for baby food and Taka three lakh for animal feed remained in stock for distribution.
Simultaneously, the Department of Health has undertaken all possible measures to prevent any outbreak of water-borne diseases among the affected people amid the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Some 3,877 patients were recorded to be suffering from various water-related diseases and 18 deaths occurred mainly caused by drowning and snakebite since July 1, the sources added.