Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
The Padma has swelled due to continuous heavy rains and the flood water coming down from upstream India. On Wednesday (August 13), the water level at Hardinge Bridge Point rose to 12.90 meters. At this point, the Padma water level is just 90 Centimeter below the danger level (13.80 meters). On Tuesday, it was 12.80 meters. In the meantime, cropland in the char area has been submerged. This has made the farmers of the char area worried. If the water level continues to rise like this, the locals are afraid that the danger level will be crossed and the dam will break and a terrible flood will occur. Pabna Water Development Board Senior Assistant Director Mosharraf Hossain confirmed the news of the water rise to The New Nation.
Pabna Water Development Board meter gauge reader H Naeem Ibne Salam said that on Wednesday (August 13), at 9 am, the water level at Hardinge Bridge in the Padma was recorded at 12.90 meters. Since the beginning of August, the water level at Hardinge Bridge Point has increased by 1 meter. Earlier, on July 26, the water level at this Hardinge Point was 11.88 meters.
The water has been increasing by 10 to 12 centimeters every day for the past few days.
On Tuesday, a site visit to the Pakshi Hardinge Bridge area showed that there is water under 14 of the bridge’s 15 girders. Water could rise under the remaining two girders at any time.
The river protection dams of the upazila’s riverside villages including Dhapari, Arambaria, and Islampur have overflowed and are about to enter the localities. Meanwhile, the water has risen in the croplands along the riverside of the upazila. Hundreds of acres of banana plantations in Laxmikunda union of the upazila are now under water. Water has started rising in the vegetable fields here. As a result, the crops here have started to spoil. The char areas are submerged in water, causing an extreme shortage of cow fodder. Due to the lack of cow fodder in the char, cattle are also suffering. Everyone is breaking the cow and buffalo herds in the char and bringing cows and buffaloes.
Asit Kumar, a river boatman from Ghat No. 5, said that the water level in the Hardinge Bridge area is rising every day. The Padma is now full of water. There was not so much water last year either. The way it is raining heavily, it seems that the water level will continue to rise. And if the danger level is crossed, there is a fear of a terrible flood in this area.
Gopal Majhi said that the water has been rising for a few days. I don’t understand how the water suddenly rose so much.
Sattar Hossain of Mollarchar in Sada said that water has risen in the sugarcane fields. If the water continues to rise like this, the entire char will be submerged. This will cause huge losses to the farmers.
