Rangpur, July 18: As the flood situation continues improving, sporadic incidents of riverbank erosion have been reported from fewer places during the last 24 hours ending at 9am today in the Brahmaputra basin.Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said water levels of rivers major continued to fall during the period and were still flowing above the danger marks (DMs) at 10 monitoring points in five northern districts.
Meanwhile, the district administrations have intensified relief activities in flood affected seven northern districts of Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj in the basin.
Talking to BSS, Executive Engineer of BWDB for its Kurigram and Lalmonirhat divisions Ariful Islam said riverbank protection works are continuing at 20 vulnerable points in these districts where the flood situation continues improving now.
Executive Engineer for BWDB’s Gaibandha division Mokhlesur Rahman said the flood situation continues improving slowly as the water levels of major rivers are falling at lower rates in the district.
Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Jyoti Prosad Ghosh today told BSS that incidents of sporadic riverbank erosion have been reported from few areas alongside major rivers in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha districts.
“The flood control structures of BWDB are remaining safe everywhere in Rangpur zone where riverbank protection works are being conducted at several points with recession of floodwaters,” he said.
BWDB officials said the Brahmaputra was flowing above the DMs by 55cm at Noonkhawa and 70cm at Chilmari, Dharla 45cm at Kurigram, Ghagot 72cm at Gaibandha and Kartoa above the DM by 12cm at Chak Rahimpur points at 9 am.
The Jamuna was flowing above the DMs by 102cm at Fulchhari, 111cm at Bahadurabad, 117cm at Sariakandi, 104cm at Kazipur and 96cm at Sirajganj points at 9 am today.
“Teesta was flowing below the DM by 25cm at 9 am today,” Executive Engineer of the Teesta Barrage Project (TBP) division of BWDB Rabiul Islam told BSS.
Divisional Commissioner KM Tariqul Islam said the district administrations have intensified distribution of relief materials among flood-hit people of affected districts in Rangpur division.
Acting District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) of Kurigram Abdul Hye Sarker said 1.87 lakh people of 46,885 families of 475 villages in 56 unions of all nine upazilas in the district have been affected by the second phase flood this season.
“We are distributing 170 tonnes of rice, Taka nine lakh, 4,000 packets of dry foods, Taka two lakh each for baby foods and animal fodders among flood-affected people in three upazilas of the district,” he added.
Gaibandha DRRO Moazzem Hossain said the current flood has affected 1.30-lakh people of 32,500 families in 26 unions of four upazilas of the district.
“We are distributing 250 tonnes of rice, Taka eight lakh, 3,600 packets of dry foods, Taka two lakh each for baby foods and animal fodders allocated by the government among the flood-affected people in the district,” he said.
DRRO of Rangpur ATM Akhteruzzaman said distribution of 330 tonnes of rice, Taka 18.50 lakh and 3,000 packets of dry foods and Taka two lakh for animal fodders continues among flood-hit people of the district.
