Flood claims 5 in Gaibandha, worsens in Sirajganj, Netrakona, Natore

People wade through floodwater at a village near Dhunat upazila headquarter in Bogra district. The Photo was taken on Tuesday. Photo: Star

In Gaibandha, flood-related deaths rose to five as three persons drowned and two others died from snakebite. The Teesta, Brahmaputra and Ghagot rivers slightly receded yesterday but were flowing above their danger marks.

Our Roving Correspondent Anwar Ali reported from Sirajganj that floodwater was approaching Sirajganj town as more areas of the Sadar upazila went under water following breach in the main flood control dam at Meghai on Friday.

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Sixty-four out of 83 unions in the district have been inundated, 11 in Kajipur upazila being the worst hit.

This year flooding started early due to rain in Bangladesh and melting of Himalayan ice, Mojibur Rahman, executive engineer of Sirajganj Water Development Board (WDB) told this correspondent on Tuesday.

Flood usually starts in the northern region from mid-July, he said.

About ten kilometers of the Kajipur-Sirajganj highway, built during late 90s at a cost of about Tk 500 crore, is now under water.

The WDB is dumping sandbags to protect the highway. But their 'untimely work' will be a futile effort, local people said. An amount of Tk 25 was spent to protect the highway but it was simply wastage because work is not done in proper time, sources said.

The authorities stopped plying of heavy vehicles on the road.

In Kazipur, nearly two lakh people have been affected, 50,000 of them marooned. About 2000 families have become homeless due to erosion by river.

This correspondent visited the worst affected Shubhagachha, Ratankandi and Gandhail unions in an engine boat.

People have moved to safer places.

Hundreds of people who took shelter at the three storied Shubhagachha College are facing acute crisis of food and drinking water.

Our Sirajganj Correspondent reported that the Jamuna was steady but flowing 52 cms above the danger mark.

Other riversKorotoa,Fulzore, Isamoti, Boral and Gumaniswelled yesterday.

Floodwater inundated Tarash and Raiganj upazila headquarters Tuesday night and washed away Bengnai bridge and two culverts in Raiganj.

The authorities said they have opened four relief camps and deployed 79 medical teams in the flood affected areas.

Acute crisis of food and drinking water is prevailing in the affected areas.

State Minister for Power Iqbal hassan Mahmood visited yesterday visited the affected areas in the Sadar and Kazipur upazilas.

Our Gaibandha correspondent KM Rezaul Haque reported the three downed as Hawya Begum of Madangerpara village under Fulchari upazila; Arman, 5, of Kalurpara village under Shaghata upazila and Belal, 18, of Kamarjani village under Gaibandha Sadar upazila.

Habibur Rahman, 35, and Jasim, 7, died from snakebite at Khatiamari village in Fulchari upazila.

Fifty-seven out of 82 unions in the district are now inundated, affecting over three lakh 49 thousand people.

Nearly one kilometre of Dhaka-Dinajpur highway went under water at Khalshi, where vehicles are moving with risk. The road link may be snapped any time.

The flood situation worsened in Gobindaganj upazila following a breach in Karotoa river embankment at Taraf Kamal and at two other points. The river was flowing 68 centimetre above the danger mark yesterday.

Nearly half a kilometre of Gaibandha-Sunderganj road has gone under flood water.

Our Netrokona correspondent reported that the flood situation deteriorated in the district as Suma-Showary, Kongsha, Mogra and Donu rivers overflowed their banks at many points yesterday due to onrush of water from India and heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours.

Vast areas in Durgapur, Kalmakanda, Atpara, Modan, Mohongonj, Barhatta, Khaliajuri and Netrakon Sadar upazilas went under 6 to 7 feet water.

Netrakona-Kalmakanda and Netrakona-Durgapur road links have been snapped as floodwater is flowing over the roads.

A UNB report from Natore said 35 villages have been inundated by floodwater from the Atrai river following a breach in an embankment of Water Development Board at Shuktihata.

Water level in the areas is increasing. Part of Singra municipal area has gone under water.

The Atrai river was flowing 31 cms above the danger level at Singra point, 20 cms at Atrai railway bridge point and four centimeters at Jotbazaar point.

A vast tract of land near Polder C in Chalan Beel went under water as the Koirbari embankment breached near Bishnopur.