Rangpur, July 17: The flood situation started showing an improving trend with fall in water levels of major rivers during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am Thursday in the Brahmaputra basin.Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said the situation is becoming normal in Rangpur, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat while showing an improving trend in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts.
Water levels of all major rivers marked fall at most points while little rise at other points following further reduction in the rate of onrushing water from the upstream during the period in the basin.
However, water levels of the Brahmaputra, Dharla, Karota and Jamuna were still flowing above the danger marks (DMs) at 10 points in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj at 9 am today.
The Brahmaputra was flowing 78cm above the DM at Noonkhawa and 89cm at Chilmari, Dharla by 60cm at Kurigram, Ghagot by 88cm at Gaibandha and Kartoa by 14cm above the DM at Chalk Rahimpur points at 9 am.
The Jamuna was flowing above the DM by 118cm at Fulchhari, 125cm at Bahadurabad, 127cm at Sariakandi, 121cm at Kazipur and by 100cm above the DM at Sirajganj points at 9 am today.
Meanwhile, officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said floodwaters submerged standing crops on 11,087 hectares of land in all five districts of Rangpur agriculture region.
Talking to BSS, Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Muhammad Ali said the flood situation is showing an improving with recession of floodwaters from submerged croplands in the region.
The submerged crops include standing Aman rice seedbeds on 914 hectares of land, Transplanted Aman rice on 719 hectares, Aush rice on 3,234 hectares, vegetables on 233 hectares, maize on 70 hectares, green chili on 62 hectares, ‘Tiil’ on 40 hectares, groundnut on 10 hectares and jute on 5,805 hectares of land.
He said the standing crops submerged under floodwaters in 19 affected upazilas of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts of the region.
“Among the total land area of submerged crops, 62 hectares of land are in Rangpur, 3,116 hectares in Gaibandha, 6,915 hectares in Kurigram, 387 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 607 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts of the region,” Ali added.
The submerged crops on 11,087 hectares of land constitutes 6.90 percent of total standing crops on 1,60,483 hectares of land in the agriculture region.
BWDB officials said all flood control embankments and structures are remaining safe in the flood-affected northern districts while some sporadic incidents of riverbank erosion have been reported with recession of floodwaters.
Talking to BSS today, Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said water levels of the major rivers are showing a receding trend in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha and other districts of the zone.
“Along with closely monitoring the flood situation, we are conducting riverbank protection works at some points in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts,” he added.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md. Zakir Hossain said the district administrations have further intensified relief activities in the flood-affected districts of Rangpur division.
