RANGPUR, Sept 25, 2020 (BSS) – The short-term flood situation, which has been created during the past couple of days due to heavy monsoon rains both in the upstream and downstream, might become steady in the next 48 hours in the Brahmaputra basin.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said major rivers continued to rise at most points during the last 24 hours in the basin where the Dharla and Jamuna were flowing above the danger mark (DM) at two points at 9am today.
“Meanwhile, the Teesta marked a sharp fall by 51cm at Dalia point in Nilphamari during the last 24 hours and was flowing below the DM there by 24cm at 9am today,” Executive Engineer of Teesta Barrage division of BWDB Rabiul Islam told BSS.
According to a bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) of BWDB, the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river systems are in a rising trend now while the Brahmaputra might remain steady and Jamuna continue to rise during the next 24 hours.
Quoting the Meteorological Departments of Bangladesh and India, FFWC said moderate to heavy rains were recorded in the country’s northern and northeastern regions and Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura states of northeast India during the last 24 hours.
“The recorded rainfalls during the last 24 hours ending at 9am today were 424mm at Cherrapunji, 245mm at Shillong and 72mm at Pasighat points in northwestern Indian states,” the FFWC bulletin said.
Besides, the recorded rainfalls were 85mm at Dalia in Nilphamari, 77mm at Panchagarh, 17mm at Chilmari in Kurigram and 35mm at Thakurgaon points during the period in northern Bangladesh.
Talking to BSS, Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Jyoti Prosad Ghosh, heavy rains during the past 72 hours have created a temporary flood-like situation at low-lying areas of Rangpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts.
“However, the short-term flood-like situation is likely to start improving in the next 48 to 72 hours as the rate of onrushing hilly water might reduce with weakening of seasonal rains both in the upstream and downstream in the Brahmaputra basin,” he said.
The BWDB officials said water levels of the Dharla further rose by 31cm at Kurigram and Jamuna by 16cm at Sariakandi and were flowing above the DM by 46cm and 4cm at these points respectively at 9 am today.
However, water levels of the Teesta fell by 51cm at Dalia and 8cm at Kawnia during the last 24 hours and were flowing below the DM by 24cm and 23cm at these points at 9am today.
Water levels of the Brahmaputra fell by 1cm at Noonkhawa and rose 10cm at Chilmari points during the period and were flowing below the DM by 76cm and 28cm at these points respectively at 9am today.
Besides, water levels of the Jamuna rose by 15cm at Fulchhari, 17cm at Bahadurabad, 15cm at Kazipur and 10cm at Sirajganj points during the period.
The Jamuna was flowing below the DM by 22cm at Fulchhari, 21cm at Bahadurabad, 6cm at Kazipur and 19cm at Sirajganj points at 9am today.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md. Zakir Hossain said the district administrations and BWDB authorities are closely monitoring the situation across Rangpur division and necessary steps would be taken when and where necessary.