70,000 People Stranded As New Flash Floods Hit Lalmonirhat

Hundreds of chars and low-lying areas along the Teesta and Dharla Rivers have been flooded as Teesta's waters started to surge beyond the point of danger since yesterday afternoon, leaving around 70,000 residents in the 17 Lalmonirhat districts stranded.

"Around 70,000 people from 17 unions in the Lalmonirhat district have been caught in the water as the Teesta River has been in danger since yesterday," said Abdul Quader, subdivision engineer of the Lalmonirhat Water Development Board (WDB).

The water of the river Teesta is flowing at 24 cm above the danger level at Dowani point of Teesta Barrage in Hatibandha Upazila of Lalmonirhat from 6:00 am today, he said.

The Teesta water level continues to rise due to ceaseless rains and water from upstream India, our Lalmonirhat correspondent reports quoting the WDB official.

All gates of Teesta Barrage have been opened due to the pressure of upstream water, he said.

On the other side, the water of the Dharla River flows into the danger stage due to rain and upstream water at Shimulbari position of Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila this morning.

The water level of the Teesta River increased and was flowing 35 cm above the danger level last night, Abdul Quader said, adding that the water level had decreased marginally during the night and since this morning it has been operating at about 24 cm of the danger point.

The waters of the Teesta and Dharla Rivers could increase more in the next 24 hours as rain and upstream water continued, he feared.

He added that hundreds of dams and low-lying areas along the Teesta and Dharla Rivers have been flooded due to rising water levels.

Thousands of Teesta River shoal people are worried about the second flood, the official said.

Although many people are at home in waterlogged conditions, people from remote char areas are taking shelter in safe places with cows, goats, ducks, chickens and other necessities, he said.

Jobeda Bewa (63), of Teesta River Char Khuniagachh of Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila, said she was moving to a safe shelter by boat this morning as the river water had risen in her house. Her son and other family members took shelter on Friday night. They had suffered severe damage in another flood as they did not recover from the first flood, she said.

Majeda Begum (28), of Kalmati area of Teesta River shoal in Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila, said the water of the Teesta had risen from house to house and flooded the roads, so they were in dire straits.

"Due to flood waters, we could not stay at home and could not move. The family members have taken to the street with cows, goats, ducks, chickens and necessary furniture and they will return home when the water recedes," she said.

Fazlar Rahman (55), a farmer at Char Gobordhan in Aditmari Upazila, said that the residents of Teesta and Dharla Rivers were seriously impacted by the floods as they could not recover from the destruction caused by the first wave of the flood.

"Char farmers in particular are the most affected. The first phase flood caused a lot of damage to crops and the rest was lost in the second flood," he said.

Mosaddek Hossain, chairman of the Mahishkhocha Union Parishad in Aditmari Upazila, told The Daily Star that 70 per cent of his union area was flooded.