Floodwater continues receding in B’putra basin

Rangpur, July 6 : Floodwater continues receding from inundated low-lying and char areas alongside all major rivers improving flood situation in the Brahmaputra basin in the last 24 hours ending at 9 am Monday.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said water levels of all major rivers marked further sharp falls at all points following further reduction in the rate of onrushing water from upstream during the period.
However, water levels of the Dharla and Jamuna were still flowing above the danger marks (DMs) at six points while Brahmaputra below the DMs at two points in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj districts at 9 am today.
During the last 24 hours, water levels of the Brahmaputra marked sharp falls by 26cm at Noonkhawa and 23cm at Chilmari in Kurigram and were flow below the DMs by 24cm and 12cm at these points respectively at 9 am.
At the same time, water levels of the Jamuna marked sharp falls by 23cm at Fulchhari, 25cm at Bahadurabad, 21cm at Sariakandi and 27cm at Kazipur and 17cm at Sirajganj points.
However, the Jamuna was still flowing 18cm above the DM at Fulchhari, 17cm at Bahadurabad, 18cm at Sariakandi, 15cm at Kazipur and 6cm at Sirajganj points respectively at 9 am.
With further falls in water levels of the Dharla by 30cm and Ghagot by 17cm during the period, the rivers were flowing above the DM by 21cm at Kurigram while below the DM by 9cm at Gaibandha points respectively at 9 am.
Meanwhile, water level of the Teesta marked a sharp fall by 22cm at Dalia point during the period and was flowing 50cm below the DM there at 9 am today.
“The floodwater receded from most submerged areas in Nilphamari and adjoining Lalmonirhat districts,” Executive Engineer of the Teesta Barrage Project (TBP) Division of BWDB M Rabiul Islam said.
Officials of district administrations said around three lakh people are still remaining affected in flood-hit northern districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogura, Jamalpur and Sirajganj.
Talking to BSS, BWDB official 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 floodwater.
Executive Engineer of BWDB Mokhlesur Rahman for Gaibandha said riverbank protection works are continuing in full swing at most of the 16 vulnerable points alongside the major rivers in the district.
Talking to BSS today, Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said water levels of the major rivers are continuing to fall, improving the flood situation in the zone.
“Along with closely monitoring flood situations, we have early preparedness to take immediate steps for repairing works at any point in case of any report of damage of flood control structures from anywhere across the zone,” he added.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md. Zakir Hossain said relief activities are continuing among flood-hit people of the affected districts in Rangpur division despite improving flood situation during the past three days.