Fresh areas in several dists inundated

UN agency World Food Programme (WFP) launched distribution of dry foodstuffs among affected people in the worst-hit villages as the flood situation further deteriorated with inundation of fresh areas in some districts and around the capital.

A BSS report quoting officials said on Tuesday evening that the flood situation of the districts near the river basins of the Brahmaputra and Jamuna was likely to remain unchanged for next seventy-two hours.

Besides, the flood situation in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrakona districts could improve over the next 48 hours.

Ripon Karmakar, Assistant Engineer at the Flood Forecast and Warning Centre under the Water Development Board, made such latest forecast.

The waters in the rivers adjacent to the capital, Dhaka, would continue to surge. The Balu River was flowing 55 cm below the danger level Tuesday, said the official, although the waters of river rose 8 centimetres in the last 24 hours.

Also, the official said, the water levels of the Buriganga, Turag and Shitalakhya rivers and Tongi canal were rising.

"The lower regions of the Balu River and Mathertek area are being inundated due to water-level rise in the Balu River," he told news agency.

The Storm Information Centre of the Water Development Board also informed that the waters of the rivers were flowing over the danger levels at 19 points across the country.

The river waters marked rise at 43 points and declined at 32 points across the country, it said.

 "The water levels at the seven points in the country remained unchanged," the storm information centre added.

Meanwhile, the flood situation of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Munshiganj districts has worsened.

Although the water flow in the Jamuna marked low at Sirajganj, but the flood situation so far would not improve.

In view of the plight of affected people -- many of them reported marooned in their homesteads or pushed out into flood shelters,   the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations launched biscuit distribution among 30,000 people in eight upazilas under Kurigram, Sirajganj and Jamalpur districts.

More fresh areas under the upazilas of Kurigram Sadar, Nageswari, Bhurungamri, Ulipur, Chilmari, Rowmari and Rajibpur also have been inundated, said the official sources.

Acute crisis of food, pure water, fuels and cattle fodder already has been prevailing in the disaster-hit areas, reports said.