Around 30 thousand families of nearly 100 chars, islands and villages of the river basins in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram districts remained stranded and in waterlogged conditions as a result of the ongoing flood, as the water of the Dharla River flowed 39cm above danger level today.
Some families have left their homes and taken shelter on roads and embankments. Many of the flood-hit people are fighting with the floodwater as they continue living at their homes. Cattle and furniture of some flood-hit families have been washed away, and people in the flood-affected areas are in dire need of food, clean water and transportation.
People living along the river shoal areas are suffering from extreme unrest due to the recurring floods this year. They are facing new instances of flooding -- even before recovering from the losses caused by the previous one. Aman paddy and vegetables were planted with difficulty, but the crop-fields have been submerged under the floodwaters again.
Many say that if the flood waters do not recede within today or tomorrow, they may lose the crops permanently.
"We have been wiped out by several floods and river erosion this year. The crops that we planted with difficulty are now submerged under the floodwaters," said Mubarak Hossain (68), a flood-hit farmer from Shimulbari village, on the Dharla River shoal of Phulbari upazila in Kurigram.
"I have been affected by the last three floods. This time I planted crops after taking loans from local moneylenders at high interest rates," he said.
Khamir Uddin (62), a flood-hit farmer from Char Kharuya area of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said the flood situation has made him helpless. On the one hand it is causing damage to houses, and on the other it is damaging the crops, he said, adding that he has never seen a flood situation as bad as this year in his life.
According to the Water Development Board (WDB) of Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, the water of the Teesta River has thankfully been flowing below the danger level since last night, as there was no onrush of water from the upstream. But the water level of the Dharla River rose again, and has been flowing 39 cm above the danger level since last night, the officials said.
It is feared that the water level may rise further, they added.
"The water level of the Dharla River has continued to rise in the last few days," said Mizanur Rahman, executive engineer of Lalmonirhat WDB.
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