Flood hits Rangpur as India opens Ghazaldoba gates

Staff Reporter :
A vast areas of Rangpur division have gone under water due to the opening of the Ghazaldoba gates without any prior notice in India.

As a result, water is rushing towards Bangladesh from the upstream and various rivers of the adjoining areas including Teesta, Ghaghat, Dharla, Brahmaputra and Karatoa is increasing rapidly.

According to Bangladesh Water Development (WDB) sources, due to opening the Ghazaldoba gates, around 352 km area of the Brahmaputra basin has been inundated from Chatna area of Dimla in Nilphamari to Jaldhaka, Patgram in Lalmonirhat, Hatibandha, Kaliganj, Gangachra in Rangpur, Kaunia, Pirgacha, Roumari in Kurigram, Rajarhat, Ulipur, Chilmari, and Brahmaputra River in Haripur of Sundarganj in Gaibandha.

About 40 villages have already been flooded of the Rangpur division.

The people living along the Teesta river are in a fear for major flood this time.

Flood water has entered the Charlands and lower areas along the river bank of Rangpur region. As a result, farmers of the areas are afraid of extensive damage of various crops cultivated in the grazing areas.

Meanwhile, houses and crops are submerged under knee-deep water in some places.

Teesta water is flowing now above 10 cm over the danger level at Dalia barrage point, while 33 cm above the red line at Kaunia point, WDB sources said.

On the other hand, according to the sources of India’s West Bengal Flood Authority Center, about 100,000 cusecs of water was released from Ghazaldoba barrage point towards lower stream.

India has released a maximum of 2.1647 lakh cusecs and a minimum of 1.69 848 cusecs of water per hour towards Bangladesh from Friday, sources said.

According to Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), the river water of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna is in a rising trend, while the Ganges-Padma River is in a steady state, which may continue in the next 48 hours.

All the major rivers in the North-Eastern region of the country are in a steady state.

According to meteorological agencies, there is a chance of medium to heavy rainfall in the north-eastern & adjoining upstream parts of Bangladesh in next 48 hours.

For this reason, the Surma, Kushiyara, Someswari, Jadukata, Bhugai-Kangsha and Sarigowan rivers of the north-eastern region may rise at times during these periods, Mehadi Hasan, Assistant Engineer of WDB, also in-charge of FFWC told this correspondent.

The Teesta River is in a rising trend, which may remain steady in the next 24 hours, he said adding that in the next 24 hours, the flood situation in the low-lying areas of Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Rangpur districts adjacent to Teesta basin may remain steady.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), isolated very heavy rainfall is likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya in the next 24 hours.

It also forecasted that there are chances for widespread heavy rainfall activity very likely over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim in the next 24 hours too.

However, Bangladesh Meteorology Department (BMD) on Saturday forecasted light to moderate rain or thundershowers along with temporary gusty wind in all eight divisions of the country in the next 24 hours.

“Light to moderate rain or thundershowers along with temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at places over the country in next 24 hours till 9am tomorrow,” it said.

Monsoon is active over Bangladesh and moderate over North Bay, it added.

The highest rainfall in the last 24 hours till 6am today was recorded 144mm at Bandarban.