RAJSHAHI, Sept 1, 2020 (BSS) – The overall flood situation in the Ganges basin has further improved as the water level is declining constantly in most of the rivers for the last couple of days due to dwindling of the onrush of water from the upstream hilly catchment areas.
Of the 30 river points monitored in the Ganges basin today, water levels receded at 25 points, while increased at five points, according to data of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
However, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 29 points, while above the danger level at one point.
Meanwhile, the marooned people have started getting back to their normal life for the last couple of days as water-logging condition is removing continuously in different low-lying areas of Sirajgonj, Bogura, Natore, Naogaon, Rajshahi and Pabna districts in Rajshahi division.
“We recorded falling trends in most rivers, including Mohananda, Ganges, Padma and 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 further declined by seven centimeter (cm) each at Pankha in Chapainawabganj and at Hardinge Bridge points, four cm at Rajshahi and two cm at Talbaria point afresh at 9 am today.
Mukhlesur said the Ganges River was flowing 204 cm, 213 cm, 150 cm and 112 cm below the danger level at Pankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria points respectively. Water level of the Padma River declined by six cm further at Goalundo point, and the river was flowing 41 cm below the danger level at the point this morning, he added.
Water level in Atrai River went up by four cm at Mohadevpur point in Naogaon district afresh, while receded by one cm at Atrai point this morning.
FFWC executive engineer Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said 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 eight cm at Sariakandi point in Bogura, nine cm at Kazipur point in Sirajganj and 11 cm at Sirajgonj point this morning.
The Jamuna River was flowing 127 cm, 108 cm and 118 cm below the danger level at Sariakandi, Kazipur and Sirajganj points respectively.
Of the 16 river points both in Ganges and Brahmaputra Basins, being monitored in many districts under Rajshahi division regularly, water levels declined at all the points and the rivers were flowing below the danger level at all the 16 points this morning.
Meanwhile, the local administrations have been distributing relief materials in the worst-affected areas continuously since the flood began.
A number of 8.65 lakh people from 2.17 lakh families affected badly by the flood have, so far, received relief materials to mitigate their livelihood related hardships in different districts under Rajshahi division.
The government, as part of its instant humanitarian assistance to cope with the disastrous situation, had allocated 1,521 tonnes of rice, Taka 38.09 lakh in cash, 16,580 packets of dry-food, Taka 21 lakh for baby food and Taka 40 lakh for animal feed.
Moinul Islam, Additional Commissioner of Rajshahi division, said distribution of the allocated relief materials among the affected families in the division is on the final stage.
Apart from this, 2,239 tonnes of rice, Taka 37.41 lakh, 3,620 packets of dry food, Taka three lakh for baby food and Taka six lakh for animal feed remain in stock for distribution.
Simultaneously, the Department of Health has undertaken all possible measures to prevent any outbreak of water-borne diseases among the flood affected people amid the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Some 4,337 patients were recorded to be suffering from various water-related diseases and 21 deaths occurred mainly due to drowning and snakebite since July 1, sources said.