Flood situation deteriorates in Gaibandha, Naogaon

The flood situation in Gaibandha and Naogaon is deteriorating due to rising rivers resulting from the onrush of water from upstream hills, and continuous rainfall in the last few days.

In Gaibandha, the Karotoa, Brahmaputra, Jamuna and Ghaghot rivers have continued to remain above the danger level.

Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) on Friday said the Karotoa River is 116cm above its danger level at Katakhali Bridge point of Gobindaganj upazila, inundating more of the upazila.

The Karotoa River protection dyke collapsed Tuesday night submerging roads and even more land than before. Vehicular movement was suspended on the Gobindaganj-Dinajpur regional highway.

Jahirul Islam, Gobindaganj upazila project implementation officer, said: “Another 10,000 people have become waterlogged in the upazila after the river protection dyke collapsed, bringing the total number of waterlogged people to 25,000.”

The upazila health complex and upazila council office location has remained under water since the flooding began four days back.

According to Gaibandha Department of Agricultural Extension, 13,050 hectares of cropland have been inundated, including around 400 hectares of vegetable crops so far.

Masudur Rahman, deputy director of DAE, predicts that more cropland is likely to be affected as the water level is rising.

According to the flood forecast, the water will recede next Saturday.

In Naogaon, the overall flood situation has worsened with 14 unions currently under water in Raninagar, Atrai, and Manda upazila.

Around 150,000 people have now become waterlogged in the district with water continuing to enter through seven damaged points at the flood control embankments in the upazilas, confirmed Naogaon Deputy Commissioner Harun-Or-Rashid.

According to the district agriculture department, 6,000 hectares of standing crops and hundreds of fish enclosures have been washed away by the recent floods.

Moreover, new and fresh ground is being inundated every day. People are suffering, in need of shelter for themselves and their farm animals. 

The Atrai and Jamuna rivers have both risen at all points except for one, said Arif Uz Zaman, executive engineer of the local WDB.

Meanwhile, although some flood victims say that sufficient relief materials aren’t being distributed across the district, the Naogaon Deputy Commissioner Harun-Or-Rashid claims otherwise.