Thousands of people have been caught in floods in Faridpur, Jamalpur, Pabna and Sirajganj districts, as water levels of the river Padma and Jamuna rose above danger levels, officials and witnesses said on Monday.
Md Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan, executive engineer of the Water Development Board, said the Jamuna river rose by 19 centimetres in 24 hours and was flowing 42 cms above the danger level at points.
Bhuiyan said Jamuna waters might rise further worsening the situation.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said at noon Monday that rising floodwaters may climb slightly higher in sixteen districts over the next couple of days, but the overall flood situation in the country is not expected to assume dire proportions.
FFWC assistant engineer Md Ariful Islam told bdnews24.com that after registering a further rise over the next one or two days, water levels in the rivers were expected to gradually recede.
However, rivers were still in spate up to Monday noon in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Dinajpur, Dinajpur, Tangail, Bogra, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Munshiganj, Madaripur, Manikganj, Faridpur, Shariatpur, Chapainawabganj, Shibganj, Dhaka's eastern areas and Dohar and Nawabganj upazilas.
Of the 73 FFWC water level monitoring stations sited across the country, river waters at 20 points were measured to be flowing above the red mark.
bdnews24.com Sirajganj correspondent reported that the flood situation worsened in the district with people in Sadar, Kazipur, Shahjadpur and Chouhali upazilas caught in floods.
A team led by deputy commissioner Md Ashraf Ali visited the flood affected areas Sunday night.
The district administration decided to open up flood shelters in Ranigram Badh, Hat Baira High School, Char-Khokshabari Primary School, Shailabari Primary School, Panchil Puratan Badh, Khokshabari Hospital, Chholgachha Simla Badh and Char Malshapara Badh under Sadar Upazila.
In Faridpur, the water of the Padma rose by nine centimetres at Goalanda point on Monday, and was flowing 76 cm above the danger level.
With Padma waters swelling, Bhajandanga, Sadipur, Gadadhardangi and Bill Gazaria areas of Sadar Upazila went under water.
Faridpur deputy commissioner Akteruzzaman Md Mostafa Kamal said about three kilometres of roads in Bhajandanga, Sadipur and Kadirer Bazar areas went under water halting traffic.
In Jamalpur, a child was drowned in flood water, reported bdnews24.com's local correspondent.
Md Alauddin, executive engineer of Water Development Board, said Jamuna waters were flowing 13 cm above the danger line at Bahadurabad point.
Twenty-eight unions of Islampur, Dewanganj, Melandah, Madarganj and Sarishabari upazilas have been flooded.
Jasim Uddin Ahmed, deputy director of the Directorate of Agriculture Extension, said paddy of 50,000 acres of land was flooded in the district.
In Pabna, fifteen villages in two upazilas were underwater.
Subject: Thousands flooded by Padma, Jamuna waters............... 
Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:19 pm
