The rising water level in the upstream is likely to worsen the flood situation in the Brahmaputra basin in Bangladesh’s north-western region, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) says.
However, the FFWC sees no chance of floods in capital although it forecasts the water level in rivers surrounding Dhaka to rise over the next few days.
On Monday, a stretch of a link road collapsed into the Balu River leading to the flooding of Mothertek’s Shekher Jayga in Dhaka.
Water Development Board (WDB)’s forecast centre official says the water was flowing below the danger level but the collapse of the road triggered the flood.
Assistant Engineer Ripon Karmakar said the water level of Buriganga rose by 10 cm, Balu River by 2 cm, Turag and Tongi canals by 5 cm over the past 24 hours but was below the danger mark.
The FFWC’s Wednesday forecast says water in these four rivers might rise “a little” over the next 72 hours but claimed that it would not flow above the danger-level.
“The rate at which the water is increasing is likely to have no affect on the capital,” said Karmakar.
Although the low-lying regions in Dhaka have been inundated, he hoped the situation would improve gradually.
“However, if the water continues to rise over one week, there will be chances of flood in Dhaka,” Karmakar warned.
According to the FFWC forecast, flood in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Bogra, Jamalpur, Tangail, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Munshiganj, Rajbarhi and Faridpur may worsen over the next 72 hours.
The WDB informed that water of 13 rivers was flowing above the danger mark at 20 points across Bangladesh on Wednesday morning.
Among these, water levels rose at 10 points, decreased at eight points and remained unchanged at other points.
The forecast centre says water level in downstream rivers in the Ganges basin may drop a little within the next 72 hours. Surma and Kushiara, too, are likely to see their water decreasing in the next 48 hours.
In that case, the flood situation in Netrokona, Sunamganj and Sylhet is likely to improve.
However, water in Brahmaputra, Jamuna, and Padma is expected to rise.
WDB official Karmakar said, “The flood situation was improving over the past several days but the water was rising from Monday. Torrential rain in India was contributing to rising level in trans-border rivers.
“The flood in north-western zone may deteriorate over the 72 hours.”
Over the past 24 hours, 48-85 mm of rainfall was recorded in Mymensingh, Sunamganj, Durgapur, Jamalpur and Panchagarh.
The Met Office has forecast moderate to heavy rain in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Rangpur over the next 24 hours.
Source: Bd news24
