Drought fear looms - Rivers flow at lowest level, 25pc less rainfall in monsoon

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With all major rivers flowing at the lowest recorded level in 25 years and with 25 per cent less rainfall recorded during the peak monsoon season this year, experts fear that a severe drought might grip various parts of the country in the coming months.

“Our recorded history of river water levels during June, July and August since 1980 reveals that this year we have the lowest level of water in the rivers than ever before during this period,” said Selim Bhuiyan, executive engineer and also in charge of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) sources said throughout the country average rainfall during June, July and August this year has been 25 per cent less than the usual average during the monsoon. The worst hit are Rajshahi and Chittagong regions where it rained 40 per cent less over the last three months compared to the past few years. BMD, however, recorded a tolerable 10 per cent less rainfall in Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet.

“The monsoon simply did not show up in our skies or in the upstream of Bangladesh from which we would have benefited,” said an expert of BMD requesting anonymity.

“Instead, monsoon clouds moved towards countries like Myanmar, parts of India and Thailand where severe flooding was reported recently,” said the expert.

Lack of natural flood flow and rainfall might trigger a drought in the coming months, warned both the experts at FFWC and BMD. It might also severely affect fish farming throughout the northern regions where fish is cultivated in ponds and wetlands, where water is currently lying at the lowest level. Flooding is also vital for replenishing the soil with alluvial deposits on the fields.

The experts said due to lack of flood and rainwater, the level of groundwater will not be replenished and a drought will occur in the coming months, making it more difficult for farmers to irrigate their lands.

They said the authorities should prepare for supplementary irrigation facilities in vulnerable areas like Rajshahi and Chittagong regions, where the drought might be severe. In Rajshahi a persisting poor rainfall has already caused severe damage to Aman cultivation, according to a newspaper report.

Selim Bhuiyan said usually during June, July and August the rivers, canals and flood plains of the country are full of water, sometimes going over the danger level. But this year all the three major rivers — the Padma (Ganges), the Brahmaputra and the Meghna — are flowing up to four metres below the danger level. At this stage even if there is more rainfall, the rivers have less chance of overflowing since water levels in all the water basins in the country are already extremely low.

Experts said chances of even a moderate flood are very slim.

“If you analyse the severe flooding in 1987, 1988 and 1997 you will find that those reached their peaks between the months of August and September. But in those years, by mid-July water levels in the rivers were already touching the danger level,” said an expert of FFWC.

Meanwhile, a special munajat (prayer) was offered at Baitul Mukarram mosque in the capital yesterday seeking blessings from the Almighty so that the country’s northern region could see an adequate rainfall, want of which has already caused serious setback for cultivation of Aman and other crops.

Last week thousands of people took part in similar prayers at hundreds of mosques across the northern districts.

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