Rivers in Haor areas flowing above danger level

Water levels of the Surma, Kushiyara and Someshwari are flowing above the danger level, Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB)'s Flood Forecast and Warning Centre said in a weather forecast notice on Monday.
Meanwhile, some 35,000 people in Roumari upazila of Kurigam district have been marooned due to flash flood caused by recent heavy showers and onrush of water from hills, report agencies.
bdnews24.com reports from Sunamganj, the BWDB has forecast heavy rains amid a rapid rise in the water level on rivers in the Haor areas of Sunamganj and Netrokona due to monsoon downpours and mountain runoff.
Water levels of all major rivers including the Surma and Kushiyara in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh will rise further in the next 24 hours and could exceed the danger level at some points due to heavy rains, the notice read.
"The water level has been rising on different rivers in Sunamganj due to heavy rains and upstream waters over the last week. The Surma was flowing 11 cm and 89 cm above the danger level at the Sunamganj and Chhatak points respectively on Monday," said Md Shamsudduha, a sub-divisional engineer at BWDB.
"The Jadukata is flowing 11 cm above the danger level while the Someswari is flowing 12 cm above the danger level at Netrokona's Kalmakanda point."
"The BWDB recorded 190mm of rainfall at Sunamganj's Laurergar point, 120mm of rainfall at Chhatak, 79mm of rainfall at Sunamganj Sadar and 68mm of rainfall at Derai Upazila in 24 hours", Shamsudduha added.
Sunamganj has experienced light to moderate rain since the morning and it's also raining heavily upstream. The locals believe the water level will rise further if the rains continue.
Meanwhile, the rains and onrush of upstream waters flooded Shaktiyarkhala's sub-marginal section of the Bishwambarpur-Tahirpur road, disrupting traffic in the region.
In addition to that, Saheb Bari Ghat and Jagannath Bari, two populous low-lying parts in Sunamganj were also flooded. The main road in the region was waterlogged.
"The water level of major rivers across the country is rising. Moderate to heavy rain is expected in the northern, northeast and adjoining parts of the Assam, Meghalaya and Himalayan foothills of India's West Bengal in the next 48 hours," BWDB's Flood Forecast and Warning Centre said.
"The water level of the Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Teesta, Dharla and Padma is likely to rise due to the rains in the next 48 hours. But the Teesta will remain stable in the next 24 hours."
UNB from Kurigram says, fifteen villages in Datbhanga union of the upazila were flooded afresh on Monday as rivers flowing the areas continue to swell.
The newly affected areas are - Char Gayata Para, Tekani village, Charkauwarchar, Charboyalmari, Okrakanda, Shaulmari, Mollarchar, Karaikandi, Mirzapur, Goulgram, New Chuliarchar, Bokbanda, Bikribil, Algarchar and Kashiabari.
As many as 27 educational institutions in this area have been shut due to the worsening flood condition.
The lack of food and drinking water is adding to the misery of the people of flood-hit areas.
LGED engineer Jubayer Hossain said, "About 22 kilometres of roads in Shaulmari, Roumari and Jadurchar Unions have been submerged in the recent flood".
People are using boats to move from one place to another amid knee-to-waist deep water.
Abdul Qayum Chowdhury, agriculture officer of the upazila, said, "A total of 283 hectares of cropland were submerged in the upazila as Jinjiram, Dharni and Kaljani rivers keep swelling".
Roumari Upazila Project Implementation Officer Azizur Rahman said, "The low-lying areas of the upazila have been inundated due to heavy rains".
The authority has so far allocated Tk 0.3 million (3 lakh) for providing relief materials to the flood victims, he added.
"A report has been submitted to the higher authorities and more relief will be provided again if allocation is given," he added.