Only 'moderate flooding' forecast for some areas

FE Team | Published: September 01, 2008 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Areas in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna basin may face moderate flooding by tomorrow (Tuesday), the Water Development Board (WDB) said in a news briefing Sunday, reports bdnews24.com. brExecutive Engineer of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre Md Saiful Hossain said there was no need to panic. He was talking to the press at the WDB conference room at Motijheel. brThe three river basins of the country experienced heavy rainfall in the last three to four days. The water level of other rivers is also rising under the impact of flash flood in the upstream. If it continues for the next three days, the middle region of the country may face moderate flood, he said.brWDB Director General Hossain Shahid Mojadda Faruque said, The flood is approaching and we've taken cautions. All prior preparations to face the flood are complete. brTen special teams have already reached different areas. From now on the Flood Forecasting Centre will remain open round the clock. brHe said the government had allocated Tk 825 million to face emergency flood in the fiscal year 2008-09. brEngineer Saiful said different areas in India including Mijoram and Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the Ganges basin, West Bengal, Arunachal, Assam and Meghalaya in the upstream of Jamuna and some parts of China had also experienced heavy rainfall under the impact of active monsoon. brHe said it was too early to say anything about the nature of the floods. brAnother report from Jamalpur adds Flood situation deteriorated Sunday in the country's northern districts as waters rolling down from the hilly areas across the border affecting about 0.5 million people and submerging newly planted Aman plants to the worries of the farmers.brThe Jamuna flowing 13cm above the danger level at Bahadurabad Sunday evening overflowed the banks at places inundating villages of Dewanganj, Islampur, Motherganj and Sharishabari Upazila.brAgriculture extension officials estimated 17,000 hectares of newly planted Aman plants and vegetables were submerged. About 50,000 people were affected by the flooding.brThe worst affected unions are Noarpar, Kulkandi and Polobandu in Islampur Upazila. The Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) said 16 tonnes of rice was given for distribution among the victims. Besides, cash doles were given to 475 families.brA report from Kurigram said, about 300 villages were flooded in the district. The river Dharala was flowing 46cm above the danger mark at Bridge point Sunday evening.brPhulbari, Kurigram Sadar, Nageshwari, Ulipur, Chilmari, Rowmari, Rajibpur are the worst affected areas where Aman plants on 15,000 hectares have gone under water.brNewazi High School at Rajibpur was devoured by the Brahmaputra as the erosion intensified.brIn Gaibandha, 17 unions have been submerged affecting 26,000 families. The rivers Brahmaputra and Ghagot were flowing 53cm and 15cm above the danger mark respectively.brResidents of Char areas are the worst affected. brDeputy Commissioner Abu Yusuf who visited some of the affected areas said steps were underway to rescue the marooned people. He distributed relief among 200 families at Shaghata Sunday.brIndia flood survivors plead for those left behindbrAFP from Banmankhi of India adds Survivors of devastating floods in northeast India said Sunday the rescue operation was failing, accusing the government of abandoning those still stranded in remote villages.brAt a makeshift relief camp in the state of Bihar, flood survivors pleaded with officials to send help to relatives they said were marooned on rooftops or in the few areas still above water.brAbout 76 people have died since the monsoon-swollen Kosi River breached its banks two weeks ago on India's border with Nepal and changed course, swamping hundreds of villages in impoverished Bihar state.brMore than 400,000 people have been evacuated in an operation involving local authorities, emergency workers and the army, disaster management official Pratyaya Amrit told the news agency Sunday.brAnother 800,000 people have made their own way out and sought shelter in overcrowded relief centres set up by the government or in concrete buildings and temples, officials in Bihar said, but at least one million remained stranded.