Lalmonirhat Inundated by flood Water
By Adnan Mahfuz
The overall flood situation has deteriorated in Lalmonirhat. The people on the banks of the river have become helpless due to heavy rains and for the rise of Teesta river water.
As the water level rises due to upstream water about 45,000 people in 16 unions along the riverside in 5 Upazilas of Lalmonirhat have become waterlogged.
About 800 hectares of jute, maize, and groundnut fields have been submerged. However, the Department of Agriculture has not yet been able to determine the extent of the damage.
At Dahlia Point, the country’s largest Teesta Barrage’s side, the water was flowing 15 cm above the danger level in the Teesta river last Friday.
The danger level of Teesta at Dahlia Point is 52.60 meters. At present, the water flow is 52.80 meters, which is increasing every moment.
Bangladesh Water Development Board’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre confirmed the matter, saying the Teesta Basin had received 77 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours.
Rabiul Islam, Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board at Dalia, said in Teesta water was flowing 15 cm above the danger level on Sunday morning. All the gates of the barrage have been opened to control the water.
The red signal was not issued as the flood water was still 4 feet below the flood bypass (flood fuse) of Teesta Barrage. However, the people living beside the bank of the Teesta river have been asked to stay safe through the yellow signal.
Meanwhile, due to heavy rains and floods in the Teesta River, the water level in the Teesta River in Hatibandha Upazila has risen in several areas. Many homes in those areas have been inundated.
Atiyar Rahman, chairman of Gaddimari UP, said the people of UP are at high risk as the water level of the Teesta River is rising. For this, he sought the cooperation of senior government officials to investigate the waterlogged people in the area.
He also appealed for government help to these waterlogged people.
Md Abu Jafar, Deputy Commissioner at Lalmonirhat, said the low-lying areas have been flooded due to the rising water level in the Teesta. Tk.6.26 lacs ( 10 lacs = 1 million) and 80 metric tons of rice have been allocated in the flood-affected areas.
