Flood situation may improve

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The growing death toll from flood-related incidents like drowning, waterborne diseases and snakebites rose to 587 with 23 fresh deaths reported in the last 24 hours until Monday morning, as many parts of the country still remained in the grip of floods, reports UNB.
In the meantime, monsoon still remains active over West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh with diminished nature in Bihar in the upper-riparian belt in India. But it has further weakened over Brahmaputra and Meghna basins (both Indian part and Bangladesh), said a bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) Monday.
"Consequently, the rising Padma has retarded slightly and the Brahmaputra-Jamuna also continues retardation," it said.
As per the model forecast of FFWC, the Ganges-Padma may continue going up further but at a slower rate in the next 24-72 hours.
The bulletin said the Padma at Goalundo and Bhagyakul remained steady and is likely to follow more or less same trend in the next 24-72 hrs. Flood situation in the districts of Manikganj, Munshiganj, Faridpur, Rajbari, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Gopalganj, Chandpur, and Dohar and Nawabganj upazilas of Dhaka is "likely to improve or remain unchanged".
Small rivers surrounding Dhaka and Narayanganj observed fall. The rivers are expected to fall further in the next 24-72 hrs, it said.
Flood situation around Dhaka city, especially in the eastern part, is likely to improve in the next 24-72 hrs.
Some 10.5 million people of 39 districts have been affected by the floods, which started rolling in on July 30 and engulfed most part of the country. Nearly 66,159 people took shelter in 475 relief camps, having been displaced from their homes.
According to statistics provided by the Food and Disaster Management Ministry, the flooding damaged some 955,302 houses completely or partially, crops on 1,523,534 acres completely or partially while some 26,026 kms roads were damaged completely or partially and 7,641 educational institutions damaged completely or partially during the flooding.
The flood onslaughts also damaged 818 kms of embankments completely or partially while some 1,764 bridges and culverts were damaged completely or partially during the running calamity.
Meanwhile, relief supplies in terms of cash and kind from the Chief Adviser's relief fund continued for the flood-hit people.
BSS adds: The Meghna at Bhairab Bazar registered fall by 3 cm and was flowing above danger level by 8 cm Monday morning. In the northeast, the Surma recorded fall by 23cm at Kanaighat, 15cm at Sylhet and 10cm at Sunamganj.
The Kushiyara rose by 25cm at Amalshid and by 15cm at Sheola.
The Manu rose by 54cm at Manu railway bridge and by 68cm at Maulvibazar. The Khowai rose by 80cm at Habiganj. The Gumti fell by 29cm at Comilla.
On the general river condition, the FFWC said out of its 68 monitoring stations, seven rivers are flowing above danger mark, water level has risen in 25, fallen in 33, remained steady in 3.
The rivers in the Brahmaputra, Meghna and South Eastern Hill basins have observed both rise and fall. Most of the rivers in the Ganges basin observed rise.