Rajshahi, Aug 12 : The overall flood situation continues to improve in the affected districts in Rajshahi division as onrush of hilly water from the upstream declined.Flood affected people have started returning back to their normal life as the flood situation in the Ganges basin has further improved following continuous recession of water levels in most of its rivers for the last couple of days.
Of 30 river points monitored in the Ganges basin today, water levels declined at 21 points while went up at nine points.
Besides, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at all the 30 points this morning.
A declining trend of water was recorded at all the four points of the Ganges River and at many other points of Padma River this morning, superintending engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Mukhlesur Rahman told BSS.
The Ganges River was flowing 182 cm, 194 cm, 117 cm and 110 cm below the danger levels at Pankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria points respectively with nine cm, six cm, four cm and five cm decline afresh respectively, while the Padma River was flowing three cm above the danger mark with a seven cm fall at Goalundo point, he added.
Water levels of the Korotoa River were reported a falling trend at Chak Rahimpur and Bogura points and the river was flowing 175 cm and 237 cm below the danger level at the two points respectively this morning.
On the other hand, the local BWDB office has recorded a rising trend of water at all the three points of the Jamuna River. The river was increased by 29 cm, 13 cm and six cm at Sarishabari in Bogura, Kazipur in Sirajganj and at Sirajgonj points respectively this morning.
But, the river was still flowing 39 cm, 52 cm and 47 cm below the danger level at the three points respectively at 9 am.
The Atrai River was flowing 80 cm below the danger mark at Atrai point in Naogaon with a fall of nine cm afresh while 379 cm below the danger mark with a 34 cm risee at Mohadevpur point in Naogaon.
Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), said of the 16 river points both in Ganges and Brahmaputra Basins, being monitored in many districts under Rajshahi division regularly, water levels decreased at 12 points, while went up at four point this morning.
However, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 14 points, while above danger mark at two points during the period.
Meanwhile, the local administration has recorded that around 8.93 lakh people of 2.14 lakh families and standing crops on around 34,140 hectares of land have been affected in the division.
Additional Divisional Commissioner Moinul Islam said the district and upazila administrations with the local public representatives have been distributing relief materials in the worst-affected areas for the last couple of weeks.
Around 2.14 lakh worst-affected people have, so far, received relief materials to overcome their livelihood related hardships caused by the flood in different districts under Rajshahi division.
The government, as part of its instant humanitarian support to cope with the disastrous situation, has disbursed 1,464 tonnes of rice, Taka 30.72 lakh in cash, 15,174 packets of dry-food, Taka 12 lakh for baby food and Taka 18 lakh for animal feed among the waterlogged people in the division.
Moinul Islam said 1,854 tonnes of rice, Taka 41.48 lakh, 5,026 packets of dry food, Taka six lakh for baby food and Taka 12 lakh for animal feed remained in stock for distribution among the affected people.
Apart from this, 1,000 tonnes of rice, Taka 20 lakh, Taka 15 lakh for baby food and Taka two lakh for dry food are available for the hardest hit families in Sirajganj district, if needed, he added.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health has undertaken all possible measures to prevent any outbreak of water-borne diseases among the marooned people in the affected areas amid recession of the floodwater.
Some 2,694 patients were recorded to be suffering from various water-related diseases and 16 deaths occurred mainly caused by drowning and snakebite, since July 1, sources said.
