Water level of all the 16 rivers in Kurigram district including the
Brahmaputra, Dharla, Teesta, Dudkumor and Sonavory have been risen
sharply creating flash flood due to torrential rain and on rush of
water from the upstream for the last few days inundating crop fields
and eroding about 300 riverside houses within the last few days.
Five thousand hectares of Ropa Aman fields, vegetables and other crop
fields went under flash flood water and the river erosion victims of
Nageswari, Bhurungamari, Kurigram Sadar, Ulipur Chilmari and Rajibpur
upazila are being suffered badly, public representatives said.
Kurigram Water Development Board official sources said water level of
the river Dharla rises 6 centimeter at bridge point, Teesta 16
centimeter, at Kaunia, Brahmaputra 20 centimeter, at Noonkhawa and
Brahmaputra 24 centimeter, have been risen at Chilmari point within
the last 24 hours.
Chairman of Kaliganj union parishad under Nageswari upazila Noor Islam
said that the flash flood inundated most of the crop fields in the
union. The Dudkumar river is engulfing at Katgerai, Kumedpur, Salmara
and Kaligani. Chairman of Noonkhawa union Parishad Shah Jalal Uddin
Mollah said that the total union is flood affected now and the Ropa
Aman, vegetables and other crops went under flood water. The union is
the most vulnerable in the district, he added.
The Brahmaputra and Dudkumar river is eroding houses and croplands.
Kurigram Deputy Commissioner A.B.M Azad and Executive Engineer of
Water Development Board Abu Taher have visited Noonkhawa flood
affected area. The Dudkumar river inundated several thousand hectares
of Ropa Aman at Panchmata, Murea under Bamondanga union and river
erosion is going on at Mothergani under Nageswari upazila and Nolea,
Sonahat and Paikerchara area under Bhurungamari upazila and about 170
families rendered homeless here.
Most of the low lying areas of Jatrapur union under Kurigram Sadar
upazila are inundated and the Brahmaputra river is also eroding at
Char Jatrapur, Ghanay Shampur and Jhunkarchar area. At least 50 houses
were eroded in the last three days, Jatrapur UP chairman Abdul Gafur
said. The Brahmaputra river eroded 30 houses in Rajibpur upazila in
the last three days, local sources said.
BSS from Gaibandha adds: The overall flood situation in Brahmaputra
river basin and char areas under four upazilas in the district has
started improving since Saturday night with the recede of its water
level.
According to sources water level of the river decreased by 17 cm in
last 24 hours ending on Sunday at 9 am and the river was flowing 3 cm
below its danger level at Fulchharighat point in the district this
morning.
The officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) here said
the other major rivers except the Karotoa of the district also fell
during the period.
The Teesta registered fall by 30 cm at Sundarganj point and the Ghagot
by 20 cm at New Bridge point of the district town while the Karotoa
recorded further rise by 15 cm at Katakhali Bridge point of
Gobindaganj upazila.
The Teesta and the Ghagot were flowing 101 cm and 23 cm below their
respective danger levels while the Karotoa was flowing 154 cm below
its danger level despite increasing its water level in last 24 hours
till Sunday 9 am.
Two days ago, the Brahmaputra river was flowing 26 cm above its danger
level at Fulchharighat point due to heavy rainfall and on rush of
hilly waters from the upstream inundating its basin and chars
stretching from Chandipur union under Sundarganj upazila to Holdia
union under Saghata upazila.
As a result, the land of standing crops particularly jute and summer
vegetables went under flood water making the growers worried about
their source of income to run their family in the days of ahead.
With the fall of water level of the Brahmaputra river, the erosion has
taken serious turn at many places along the both sides of the river
including Chandipur, Kapasia, Mollarchar, Kamarjani, Erendabari,
Fazlupur, Urya, Gozaria, Holdia and Saghata unions of the district
creating immense sufferings to the erosion victims and much anxiety to
the erosion threatened people.
Many erosion and flood victims had taken shelter on the nearby flood
control embankment and flood shelters with their belongings including
domestic animals and poultry birds and were passing their days
miserably for want of food and drinking water.
Deputy Commissioner Dr. Quazi Anwarul Haque said relief distribution
activity had been intensified to the flood and erosion victims of four
upazilas to mitigate their sufferings.
The government allocated a total of 200 metric tons of rice and cash
TK 5 lakh for the flood and erosion victims of the upazilas and the
distribution of allocated rice and cash money were progressing fast
under the direct supervision of district and upazila level officials
including the UNOs, he also added.
