United News of Bangladesh

The flood situation in Feni has deteriorated as the water level of the Muhuri River surged to 137 centimetres above the danger mark, according to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB). The BWDB's Executive Engineer for the district said that the rapid and abnormal rise in water levels has triggered flooding in several areas. Meanwhile the district administration said that considering the worsening situation, they have prepared 131 shelter centres across the affected upazilas. In Fulgazi upazila, 99 shelters have been readied — 32 in secondary schools and 67 in primary schools. In Parshuram upazila, 32 shelters have been kept on standby. A total of five places have been breached including the forest control dam located in Parashuram, and in Jangalghona, Gadanagar, Derpara and Sahebnagar. The water level continues to rise, said Feni BWDB. Flashflood likely in Feni as Muhuri river swells amid heavy rains: FFWC The Ganges and Padma rivers are experiencing a gradual rise in water levels which may continue for the next five days according to the latest forecast from the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC). However, they are projected to remain below the danger level. Meanwhile, higher-than-normal tidal activity is prevailing in coastal rivers of Barisal, Khulna, and Chattogram divisions. These elevated tides are likely to persist for another day contributing to waterlogging in some areas. In August 2024, heavy rainfall, coupled with a surge of water released from a dam in India's Tripura resulted in severe flooding that claimed over 70 lives and affected 11 districts in northeastern and southeastern Bangladesh.

Authorities have prepared more than 1,000 cycone shelters to evacuate people while all fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been asked to remain anchored until further notice as Cyclone Sitrang is expected to cross southern Bangladeshi coast by early Tuesday. The Bay of Bengal will remain very rough near the eye of the cyclone, the weather office said on Monday morning. According to the latest bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Sitrang may make landfall near Khepupara along Barishal-Chittagong coast, and because of the impact of the cyclone heavy rains would continue to lash the country. Read: ‘Sitrang’ may hit a 730 km area in Bangladesh on Oct 25: State Minister Authorities in Chattogram and other hilly districts warned that landslides could destroy homes and kill people if incessant rains continue. UNB correspondents from across southern coastal region reported heavy rains since morning.

Hundreds of farmers in Sunamganj’s haor areas started harvesting paddy after getting an early flood warning from the district administration and local weather office.   Warned by local weather office about untimely heavy rain, the district administration recently announced over loudspeaker that untimely flood may damage the crops in the haor area.   But labour shortage amid the ongoing holidays to contain transmission of coronavirus, has become a major headache for the farmers desperate to save their crops.   Visiting several haors in the district on Sunday, the UNB correspondent saw farmers and their children busy harvesting. In many cases, voluntary organisations and students were helping the farmers.   Sources at Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said they expect a production of 12 lakh tonnes of Boro paddy from 219,300 hectares in the district.   Meanwhile, Abu Syed Chowdhury, meteorologist, Sylhet Weather Office, said about 200mm rain may occur in between April 17 and 21 according to the meteorological calculation. That may be the reason of an unwanted flood in the haor region, he added.   Warned by the meteorologist, the district administration has been encouraging local farmers to harvest paddy as soon as possible to save it from flood.