Rajshahi, Aug 10: Normalcy has started returning among the affected people as continuous improvement of flood situation in the Ganges basin following recession of water levels in most of its rivers for the last couple of days.The displaced people have started getting back to their normal life as their water logging and marooned condition has gradually been removed.
“We are very much hopeful about substantial improvement of the flood situation in Rajshahi division as the heavy downpour and onrushing of flood water from the upstream hilly areas has been reduced to a significant rate,” Mukhlesur Rahman, superintending engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), told BSS.
Among the monitored 30 river points in Ganges basin at 9 am today, water levels of 21 stations have declined while went up at eight points and remained stable at one point.
Apart from this, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 28 points while above the danger mark at four points this morning.
Local BWDB office has recorded a declining trend of water at all the four points of the Ganges River, while at many points of its downstream Padma River in the past 24 hours ending 9 am today, said Mukhlesur Rahman.
The Ganges River was flowing 170 cm, 182 cm, 107 cm and 99 cm below the danger levels at Pankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge and Talbaria points respectively while the Padma River was flowing 14 cm above the danger mark at Gualundo point, he added.
On the other hand, water level of the Korotoa River and the Jamuna River under the Brahmaputra Basin, which is flowing through Bogura and Sirajganj districts, were seen a falling trend at all five points of the two rivers this morning.
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 all points this morning.
However, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 14 points, while above danger mark at two points this morning.
Engineer Bhuiyan said a stable situation is expected to be restored within the next ten to 12 days as there is no possibility of any new flood situation during the current rainy season.
Additional Divisional Commissioner Moinul Islam said 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 become affected in the division.
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 water.
Divisional Director of Health Dr Gopendra Nath Acharya told BSS that 658 medical teams are working in 145 flood affected unions under 18 upazilas in the division.
He added that 64 unions in Sirajganj, 24 in Bogura and 19 each in Pabna, Naogaon and Natore districts are the worst affected one.
“We’ve recorded 2,482 patients suffering from various water-related diseases, including 103 diarrheal and 11 respiratory tract infections and 18 deaths, mainly caused by drowning and snakebite, since July 1,” Dr Gopendra Nath Acharya said.
