Dhaka, Oct 01- The water levels at various points in Bangladesh have crossed the danger marks after all the gates of the Farakka barrage were opened following flood in Patna, Bihar.Many new areas in 12 districts have inundated by flood waters in north-northwestern region of the country.
According to flood forecasting warning centre (FFWC), water level of the river Ganga crossed the danger level at Hardinge point, Goalundo, Sureswar and Gorai River in Kamarkhali points.
However, the local administration of Rajshahi has already started shifting people from char and low-lying areas to different flood shelters fearing devastating flood.
Meanwhile, the disaster management and relief ministry has allocated dry food and cash taka for flood affected districts.
According to Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB), flood waters may affected Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Kushtia, Pabna, Rajbari, Manikganj, Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Munshiganj districts.
Waters of the Ganga and the Padma rivers are rising and it may continue in next 72 hours, Arifuzamman Bhuiyan, executive engineer of FFWC told this correspondent yesterday.
“We have recorded waters in 93 points. Of them, water rises in 74 points in the last 24 hours,” he said in reply to a query.
When asked about river’s condition, he replied, waters of all the major rivers are rising except the Surma-Kushiyara and water level of many areas will cross the danger marks in the next 24 hours.
The Ganga and Mahananda rivers continued to swell in Natore and Chapainawabganj districts and water level of the Ganga crossed the danger level at Hardinge point in Natore on Tuesday afternoon. The water was flowing 45cm below the red mark at Charghat point yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, the swelling water submerged 18 chars under three unions of Lalpur upazila in Natore, rendering about 3,000 families homeless.
New areas were inundated in Chapainawabganj as the water level of the Ganga and Mahananga continued to rise.
According to WDB sources, the Ganga water level rose by 15cm while that of Mahananda by 24cm in the last 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
The Ganga River at Kushtia is flowing above the danger level at Hardinge Bridge point, marooning thousands of people in low-lying areas of Daulatpur Upazila.
After measuring water at 10am, the level crossed the danger mark at Hardinge Bridge point on Tuesday.
According to data provided by the Kushtia Water Development Board, the danger level of water flow is 14.25 cm at Hardinge Bridge Point in Ganga River in Kushtia. At 12 noon, the level of water flow was 14.27 cm.
In the last 24 hours, water has risen 16 centimeters at the Bridge Point in the Ganga.
Meanwhile, water level has also increased in the Gorai River and danger mark crossed at Kamarkhali point.
Due to the increase of water, several areas of Ramkrishnapur, Chilmari, Phillipnagar and Maricha Union of Daulatpur Upazila of Kushtia, were inundated by flood. Besides, river bank is being eroded in Komarkandi village of Shilaidah Union of Kumarkhali Upazila.
Due to the increase of water in the Gorai River, several houses along the embankment of the Boro Bazar area, including the GK Ghat were flooded. Many left their homes and took shelter in high lands.
The water level was 2 cm above the danger level at 10:00am, Pijush Krishna Kundu, executive engineer of WDB in Kushtia said.
He said the water level is rising by 1 cm to 3cm in places per hour.
“We have already allocated relief materials for three districts—Rajshahi, Shariatpur and Kushtia. The ministry has allocated 3000 packets dry food for Kushtia, 500 packets for Rajshahi including cash taka for flood and river eroded people,” Nurul Basir, deputy secretary of the disaster management and relief ministry told journalists on Tuesday.
He said the flood has just started from yesterday and relief materials already stocked in several districts.
“Additional allocation will likely be started from today (Wednesday) as per demand of the local administrations. We have all out preparation to face the flood,” Basir said in reply to a query.
Opening of 109 gates of the Farakka barrage is usual as part of regular management of water, Munshi Enamul Huq, director of WDB said in a statement. – Staff Reporter
