Staff Reporter :
The Atrai River at the Atrai Railway Bridge point in Naogaon has swelled to 31 centimeters above the danger level, inundating vast areas of Atrai and Raninagar upazilas.
The floodwaters have submerged nearly 17,000 bighas of Aman paddy and other crops, leaving thousands of people marooned and damaging important roads.
Local farmers said the sudden surge in water levels was caused by heavy rainfall and upstream runoff.
Hundreds of bighas of cropland in villages including Bhonpara, Palsha, Hengolkandi, Majhgram, Kachua, Maria, and Moniari have been submerged, leaving residents stranded in floodwater.
Bhonpara Union Chairman reported that even his own 16 bighas of paddy fields are underwater.
Another farmer, Abdul Halim, claimed to have lost crops on 95 bighas of land, amounting to nearly Tk 600,000 in losses. Similarly, farmer Rubel Chowdhury’s 22 bighas of paddy have been completely destroyed.
Atrai Upazila Agriculture Officer Prasenjit Kumar said at least 10,500 bighas of Aman paddy and other crops are currently submerged. “With water levels rising every hour, the damage to crops is increasing,” he said.
Meanwhile, Naogaon Water Development Board’s Sub-Divisional Engineer, Prabir Kumar Pal, said floodwaters have put embankments at 8-10 points in Atrai and Raninagar at risk.
“Surveillance has been stepped up in all vulnerable spots,” he said, adding that with rainfall easing and upstream waters receding, river levels may begin to fall within the next two days.
Raninagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rakibul Hasan said affected areas have been visited and preparations taken for emergency response.
“No embankment has broken yet, but alert measures are in place,” he confirmed.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), heavy rainfall in upstream areas of India and parts of Bangladesh has caused water levels of the Atrai and Chhoto Jamuna rivers to rise in the Rajshahi division. The Atrai River is expected to remain above danger level for the next 24 hours before starting to recede.
In the last 24 hours, the water level of the Ganga River has fallen, while the water level of the Padma River has risen. The water level of the Ganga River may continue to fall over the next 5 days. The water level of the Padma River may continue to rise over the next 24 hours and flow at the warning level.
During this period, the low-lying areas adjacent to the river in Rajbari, Faridpur, Pabna, Manikganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Munshiganj, and Dhaka districts may become temporarily inundated. However, over the following 4 days, the water level may remain steady.
In the Rangpur division, the water levels of the Teesta, Dharla, and Dudhkumar rivers have fallen. Over the next 2 days, the water level of the Teesta River may remain steady, while the water levels of the Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers may fall; however, on the 3rd day, the water levels of these rivers may rise.
Meanwhile, Dhaka and surrounding areas may see light rainfall on Sunday, though daytime temperatures are expected to remain unchanged, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said in a bulletin.
