Dhaka, Aug – Rail communication of Dinajpur with Dhaka remained suspended since Sunday night as rail tracks in Sadar Upazila went under water.
Dinajpur railway station master Monirul Islam told UNB that rail links of Dinajpur with Dhaka and Panchagarh remained halted as rail tracks were marooned.
Rains that caused the flooding are continuing in both upper and lower catchments of Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river basins. The Met office has forecast heavy (44-88mm) to very heavy (89mm or more) rainfall is likely to occur at places over Sylhet and Chittagong divisions during next 24 hours beginning at 10:00 am on Monday.
Due to heavy and very heavy rainfall landslide may occur at places over the hilly regions of Sylhet and Chittagong divisions, said Met office bulletin.
The flood situation in Dinajpur remained unchanged as waters of both the Punorbhava and Atrai rivers were flowing 80 centimetres above the danger level on Monday morning, said sources at Water Development Board in Dinajpur.
Of the 13 upazilas, most of those remained trapped in floodwaters.
6 dams collapse in Lalmonirhat flooding fresh areas
The flood situation in Lalmonirhat worsened further as six embankments have collapsed due to strong current in the Teesta and Dharla rivers, inundating fresh areas of the district.
Following the collapse, some 19 villages went under water freshly and more than one hundred houses were eroded by Teesta and Dharala rivers.
The road and train communications between Lalmonirhat and Burimari routes have remained suspended for second consecutive day due to severe erosion in different places.
Meanwhile, people in the flood-hit areas are suffering from scarcity of food and drinking water. Only 160 tonnes of rice and Tk 4.50 lakh in cash have been allocated for over one lakh flood-affected people.
Mustafizur Rahman, executive engineer of Water Development Board at Dalia Division, said Teesta River was flowing 5 centimetres above the danger mark at Dalia point while Dharala River was flowing 135 centimetres above the danger level at Kulaghat point on Monday morning.
To control the water, the Teesta Barrage Authorities have opened its all gates at Dalia point, he added.
Many of flood-hit victims claimed that people in 63 chars and char villages have remained marooned by flashfloods for the last five days but they got insufficient government relief, forcing most of them to starve.
Rajpur Union Parishad chairman Mofazzal Hossian said in last five days, 50 houses were devoured by the river while flood situation of 17 villages under his union worsened. But the administration allocated only 130-kg of rice for 25,000 flood-affected people.
Saniajan UP chairman Abdul Gafur echoed the same adding that he received only 75-kg of rice and a poor amount of dry food in against of 6,000 flood victims.
Waterborne diseases are spreading in the flood-hit areas. District Civil Surgeon Dr Amiruzzaman said some 54 medical teams are working in the flood-hit areas. However, no activities of medical teams were seen while visiting the spots.
More than one hundred schools were closed as floodwaters entered inside the buildings.
The flood situation in the district of Kurigram worsened further on Monday following rise of water level of the Dharala and Brahmaputra rivers.
The Dharala was flowing 132cm above the red mark while the Brahmaputra 68cm above the danger marks in the morning.
Besides, flood embankments in Kanthlbari of Sadar upazila, Kaluya in Rajarhat upazila and Gorokmandol in Phulbaria upazila collapsed.
Road and railway communications remained snapped as the important roads and rail tracks were marooned.
Over 4 lakh people in 60 unions of nine upazilas were affected by the flood.
Academic activities in 608 educational institutions are being hampered as 441 were inundated, 150 are being used as shelters, 18 are facing threat of river erosion, said Swapan Kumar Chowdhury, district education officer.
Besides, 167 schools and madrasas have been declared closed for indefinite time.
Eighty three community clinics were inundated and over one hundred houses were washed away by the water.
Dr Aminul Islam, civil surgeon of the district, said that a total of 87 medical teams are working to help the flood victims.
Earlier, four people were killed in floodwater on Sunday. – UNB
