RANGPUR, June 30: Although water level receded slightly in the last 24 hours, the Dudhkumar was flowing 11 cm above the danger level (DL) at Pateshwari point in Kurigram at 3 pm on Monday, caus-ing floods in floodplains and low-lying areas.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said that short-term flood conditions are likely to develop in the low-lying areas of the basin in the next 24 to 48 hours amidst a possibility of heavy to heavy monsoon rains.
The temporary flooding may engulf floodplains and low-lying areas of Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, and Gaibandha, while flood conditions may deteriorate in low-lying areas adjacent to the Dudhkumar during the period.
During the past 24 hours, water level of the Dharla has increased, while water level of the Teesta has marked both rise and fall and water level of the Dudhkumar has remained mostly stable after a little fall.
The water levels of these rivers may increase over the next 24 hours and may flow above the DL at sev-eral points.
However, water levels of these rivers may remain stable during the subsequent 48 hours.
At 3 pm yesterday, the Teesta was flowing below DL by 21cm at Dalia in Nilphamari, 43cmm below DL at Kawnia in Rangpur, 28cm below DL at Tarapur in Lalmonirhat and 43cm below DL at Haripur point in Gaibandha.
At 6 pm yesterday, the Teesta was flowing below DL by 16cm at Dalia and 47cm at Kawnia points.
The Dharla was flowing 48cm below its DL at Kurigram, Ghaghot was flowing 130cm below DL at Gaibandha and Brahmaputra was flowing below DL by 70cm at Noonkhawa, 68cm at Hatia and 62cm at Chilmari points respectively at 3 pm yesterday.
At 3 pm yesterday, the Jamuna was flowing below its DL by 72cm at Fulchhari, 77cm at Bahadurabad, 70cm at Shaghata, 91cm at Sariakandi, 151cm at Kazipur and 108cm at Sirajganj points.
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) of BWDB in a bulletin yesterday said water levels of the Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers have increased during the past 24 hours and this trend may continue over the next five days.
During the next third to fifth day (from July 3 to July 5), the Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers may flow at the Warning Level in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, and Bogura districts, and adjacent low-lying areas along the rivers may be inundated in places.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department and global meteorological agencies, heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast over Rangpur division and the adjoining upstream areas of West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya in India during the next 24 hours, followed by moderate-heavy to heavy rainfall during the subsequent four days.
The recorded rainfalls in the upstream Indian states during the last 24 hours till 9am yesterday were 114mm at RKM Sohra, 110mm at Cherrapunji, 78mm at Mawsynram, 72mm at Mawphlang, 70mm at Mawkyrwat and 64mm at Shella points.
“During the same period, in northern Bangladesh, 75mm rainfall was recorded at Chilmari in Kurigram, 70mm at Dewanganj in Jamalapur and 65mm at Bogura points,” the FFWC bulletin said.
Talking to at 7:20 pm, WDB’s Rangpur Circle Superintending Engineer Md Ahsan Habib said that water levels of major rivers are marking both rise and fall at places.
If heavy rainfall continues in the Brahmaputra basin for the next three to four days, there is a possibility of short-term flooding.
Currently, some floodplains and low-lying char areas along the Teesta and Dudhkumar rivers have been temporarily flooded due to the strong upstream flow of water due to the monsoon.
The temporary flooding conditions may fluctuate in the low-lying char areas of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat of the Brahmaputra basin and there is no forecast for major flooding in the next few days.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to take immediate steps to save flood control structures and riverbanks anywhere on an emergency basis,” he added.
