Floodwaters snap road links with many N-dists

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Road communications in many parts of northern districts snapped as roads went under floodwater, while ferry services on Nagarbari-Paturia route remain suspended leaving around 100 buses and trucks stranded.

Many flood-protection embankments across the country developed cracks creating panic among people, while people who have already been marooned are getting infected with various water-borne diseases, mainly due to lack of drinking water.

Five people died in connection with flooding in Sirajganj yesterday. They are Ashif, 2, son of Asraf Ali of Tentulia under Ullahpara, Sharmin, 3, daughter of Shamim Hossain of the same village, Yamin, daughter of Monirul Islam of Chhayadabad village in Sadar upazila, Monser Ali, 70, of Shailabari village in Sadar upazila and Jalal Uddin, 25, of Paranpur village in Kazipur upazila, reports UNB.

Ashif and Sharmin drowned when they fell into the floodwater from their parents’ laps. Yamin also drowned in floodwaters. Monser Ali and Jalal Uddin were electrocuted.

Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) yesterday reported that water levels of rivers are likely to rise even more in the next few days deteriorating the flood situation in the country.

The eastern part of the capital is also likely to be inundated in the next two to three days, as all rivers, except the Buriganga, surrounding Dhaka and Narayanganj are likely to approach danger levels in a day or two.

Our correspondent from Pabna reports that Nagarbari-Paturia ferry service has been stopped as the Nagarbari-Pratappur ferry terminal and its link road went under water yesterday, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) sources said.

Around 60 to 70 trucks are waiting at Nagarbari ferry terminal, officials of BIWTA said.

“Nagarbari ferry terminal and its 150-foot link road went under water. It is not possible to restart ferry service unless the water level recedes. There is no other way to restart the service,” BIWTA official Abdur Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday.

Our Sirajganj correspondent reports: At least 120 roads in nine upazilas went under water and most of these were completely or partially damaged, officials at the Roads and Highways Department said.

“All major highways in the district, except Sirajganj-Dhaka and Sirajganj-Bogra, remains snapped,” they added.

District Civil Surgeon’s office sources said around 300 people have been infected with diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery and skin infections, mainly due to lack of drinking water which had forced them to drink impure water.

Water Development Board (WDB) sources said at least five lakh people in nine upazilas of the district have become marooned and 98 percent of the Sirajganj town went under water. About 90 percent businesses in the town have been closed.

Our correspondent from Nilphamari reports: The repair work of a bank-protection of Teesta Irrigation Project at Jhunagach Chapnai union, damaged Sunday afternoon, has been stalled due to lack of concrete blocks and sandbags.

The 150-foot bank-protection was damaged by gushing water and resulted in the inundation of around 1,500 houses and paddy fields of Uttar Sonakhuli and Dakhkhin Sonakhuli chars.

Gaibandha town may go under floodwater any time as cracks developed at many points on the Gaibandha Town Protection Embankment along the Ghagot while seepage continues at three points, our correspondent in Gaibandha reports.

Army personnel of Gaibandha camp have been working round the clock to stop the seepage at different points of the embankment by sandbagging.

Road communication between Gaibandha and Shaghata and Fulchari snapped as two kilometres of road went under floodwater.

Road communication between Gaibandha and Palashbari was disrupted as a gigantic banyan tree fell over the highway early Monday due to incessant rain and storm. Roads and Highways Department was trying to remove the tree.

A 200-metre stretch of Brahmaputra Flood Control Embankment at Counsiler Bazar was washed away by surging floodwater. At least 85 villages in seven unions of Fulchari Upazila were inundated yesterday.

According to district Agriculture Extension Department, seedbeds on 805 hectares of land, transplanted aman on 120 hectares and vegetables on 2,105 hectares in four upazilas went under floodwater.

Kazi Mohammad Anwarul Hakim, deputy commissioner of Gaibandha, said he requires more dry food and drinking water for the flood victims.

Flood-affected people in Sariakandi, Sonatala and Dhunat upazilas are in severe food and drinking water crises, our staff correspondent in Bogra reports.

People, especially the children, are in serious risks of suffering from malnutrition and diseases like dysentery and diarrhoea.

According to district WDB, the Jamuna was flowing 125cm above danger levels at Sariakandi yesterday.

Our correspondent in Rangpur reports that around 10km of roads in three upazilas were completely damaged and 50km of roads were partially damaged by the floodwater, an official sources said.

The flood-affected people in chars of Teesta alleged they were in acute food and drinking water crisis.

Agriculture Extension Department said crops, mainly vegetables and aman seedlings, on around 10,000 hectares of land in the district have been inundated.

Deputy Director Mokbul Hossain of Manikganj Agriculture Extension Department said paddy on 2,900 hectares and vegetables on 1,200 acres went under floodwater, our Manikganj correspondent reports.

The water level of the Jamuna yesterday rose at all points and flowed 61cm, 80cm, 84cm, 99cm and 85cm above danger level at Noonkhawa, Chilmari, Bahadurabad, Sirajganj and Aricha deteriorating the flood situation in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Bogra, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Pabna and Tangail.

The water level of the Padma rose at all points and flowed 105cm and 66cm above danger levels at Goalando and Bhagyakul threatening to inundate more areas of Manikganj, Munshiganj, Faridpur, Rajbari, Madaripur, Shariatpur districts and Dohar and Nawabganj upazila of Dhaka.

The water level of Meghna at Bhairab Bazar continued rising and was flowing 14cm above danger level yesterday and is likely to rise further inundating low-lying areas in Narsingdi, Brahmanbaria and Narayanganj, FFWC reported. The flash flood situation in Netrokona, Sunamganj and Sylhet is, however, likely to improve.

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