The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

With rivers still swelling, more areas in northern and central region including low-lying areas of Dhaka and Rajshahi cities were inundated yesterday. Experts are apprehending more floods in next 24-48 hours, causing displacement and misery of tens of thousands of people.

Officials in the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) said the major rivers in the country were above danger levels and nearly 20 out of 64 districts were flooded.

Countrywide, rivers rose at 30 points, decreased at 39 points and were flowing over danger levels at 24 points yesterday compared to Friday, according to the FFWC.

Crops were destroyed, enclosures washed away and people rendered homeless as the flood protection embankments were collapsed at several points.

Hundreds of thousands of marooned flood victims are facing acute shortages of food and drinking water, as relief efforts were not sufficient, our correspondents report from the districts. Floodwater entered into localities through the unprotected eastern front of the capital, the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reports.

Quoting FFWC the new agency said the flood situation in Dhaka's Dohar and Nawabganj as also in some other parts of the country could deteriorate slightly or remain static over the next 24 to 48 hours.

"Thereafter, hopefully, the flood situation will start improving," says the latest FFWC forecast.

In Rajshahi, the flood situation worsened due to continuous rise of water level in the Padma River that receives the water flow from the Ganges across the border and flows down Chapainawabganj district and Rajshahi city.

So far, 19 people have been reported killed in snake-bite, boat capsize and various water-borne diseases, including diarrhoea.

Around 50 villages in Poba, Charghat, Bagha, Godagari and Mohanpur upazilas and low-lying areas of the city went under floodwater, leaving thousands of people virtually marooned.

Superintending Engineer of the Water Development Board Abdul Mannan said, "The flood situation may deteriorate further."

In Jamalpur, 40 unions out of 68 in seven upazilas were inundated, leaving thousands of people marooned.

The swelling Jamuna was flowing 19cm above the danger level at Bahadurabad point.

District Health Department sources said 166 people had been affected with various water-borne diseases, including diarrhea, in the last 24 hours. Seventy-seven medial teams have been working in the district, one of the worst hit in this year's flooding.

District Relief and Rehabilitation sources said 34 mts of rice have so far been distributed in the flood-and erosion-affected areas and Tk 25,000 in cash was distributed in Islampur and Dewanganj upazila each.

Agriculture Adviser Dr C S Karim visited Chukaibari union of Dewanganj upazila and Kulkandi union of Islampur upazila yesterday.

The overall flood situation in Sadar, Sreebordi and Nakla upazilas of Sherpur district worsened further as the rain-fed rivers continued to swell yesterday.

Erosion by the river Brahmaputra has taken a serious turn in Char Pakshimari and Kamarer Char unions in Sadar upazila.

The river devoured 31 dwelling houses in Jangaldi and Dakaterghop areas of Char Pakshimari union in last two days.

Twenty primary schools in the flood-hit areas have been closed.

According to local agricultural office, transplant aman paddy on 9,825 hectares in the three upazilas went under floodwaters.

In Madaripur, many low-lying areas were flooded anew today in the wake of rise of water level in Arial Khan and Padma rivers.

The Arial Khan was flowing 51 cm above the danger level while the Padma above 82cm.

Around 3 lakh people have been marooned in the district as 70% kutcha roads in 58 unions were submerged.

In Sirajganj, the overall flood situation in the district deteriorated further as the Jamuna continued to swell, inundating a number of fresh areas in five upazilas and char areas along the mighty river.

The Jamuna was flowing 57 cm above the danger level.