RAJSHAHI, Aug 26, 2020 (BSS) – Water level in many of the rivers in the Ganges basin either recorded fall or remained steady till this morning like the previous couple of days due to declining of onrushing flood water from upstream hilly catchment areas in the past 24 hours.
Of the 30 river points monitored in the Ganges basin today, water levels receded at 17 points, while increased at 10 points and remained stable at three points, according to data of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
However, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 28 points, while above the danger levels at two points.
“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 Pankha in Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi and Talbaria points, while went up by one centimeter (cm) at Hardinge Bridge point slightly afresh at 9 am today.
However, Mukhlesur said, the Ganges River was still flowing 165 cm, 183 cm, 109 cm and 77 cm below the danger levels at Pankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria points respectively.
Water level of the Padma River declined by five cm further at Goalundo point, and the river was flowing 13 cm above the danger level at the point this morning, he added.
Korotoa River water level went up by 10 cm at Chak Rahimpur point further, while receded by two cm at Bogura point, and the river was flowing 263 cm and 358 cm below the danger mark at the two points respectively this morning.
Besides, a falling trend of water levels was recorded at the three points of the Jamuna River today. The water level receded by 18 cm at Sariakandi point in Bogura, 12 cm at Kazipur point in Sirajganj and 16 cm at Sirajgonj point.
FFWC executive engineer Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan said the Jamuna River was flowing 34 cm, 31 cm and 39 cm below the danger level at Sariakandi, Kazipur and at Sirajganj points respectively.
He said the Gur River was flowing 35 cm below the danger level at Singra point in Natore with five cm falling further, while the Atrai River was flowing six cm above the danger mark at Baghabari point in Sirajganj with seven cm falling further this morning.
Water level in the Atrai River went up by 17 cm at Mohadevpur point in Naogaon further and the river was still flowing 419 cm below the danger level 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 10 points while increased at three points 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 the Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Padma rivers are falling trend, while the Ganges River is in steady state, which may continue in next 72 hours.
Meanwhile, the district and upazila administrations have recorded that around 2.16 lakh households and standing crops on 47,729 hectares of land valued at around Taka 529.83 crore were affected by the flood water.
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.
