Shawdesh Desk:

Extremely heavy rains in West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya in the upstream on Sunday gave rise to fear of fresh floods in Bangladesh.

Till Sunday, floods continued to wreak havoc in riverine Bangladesh for the third consecutive week as rain waters accumulated in the upstream from heavy rains in the first week of July drained to the sea.

The Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room reported Monday afternoon that 14 more people drowned in Netrokona, Bogura, Gaibandha, Jamalpur and Faridpur districts in 24 hours taking the death toll due to floods to 78 since July 10.

Satellite images showed that many areas in Assam and Tripura were still under flood waters waiting to be drained through the rivers in Bangladesh.

And yet another spell of heavy rains has begun in the upstream. The Indian Met Office predicted heavy to extremely heavy rains in the upstream until Friday.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre in its morning bulletin Monday warned that the Teesta and Dharla might cross their danger levels by Tuesday morning.

The New Age correspondent in Lalmonirhat reported that the Teesta began rising again in less than a week after it fell below its danger level at Dalia point.

The Monday afternoon report of the FFWC on the river situation showed that all the rivers around Dhaka continued to swell.

The Buriganga River swelled by 14 cm in six hours until 3:00pm Monday while the Turag by 7 cm, Balu by 6 cm, Shitalakkhya by 6 cm, Dhaleswari by 5 cm and Bangshi by 4 cm.

The Water Development Board already ruled out the possibility of any of the rivers around the capital overflowing.

The New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that erosion worsened along the Padma and the Jamuna as the rivers receded.

Since the floods struck in early July, about 4,000 families have been displaced in the district after the Padma and the Jamuna devoured their houses.

Erosion has been worst in Shibalaya and Daulatpur upazilas in the district, displacing some 2,500 families so far.

The affected families are now living under the open sky without food and drinking water.

Authorities became concerned after the river Jamuna devoured 50 feet area near the Aricha river station over the last seven days.

Important public and private institutions including a newly built weather observatory are under the threat of being lost to the rivers due to erosion.

Water Development Board executive engineer Mahabubey Maola Mehedi said that they were throwing geo-bags in the rivers to prevent the erosion.

The New Age correspondent in Tangail reported that fresh areas in Basail upazila in the district were inundated on Monday.

A total of 200 schools and colleges were closed down in the district due to floods.

Over 2.55 lakh inhabitants in 400 villages have been marooned by floods in nine upazilas in the district, according to the district administration.

Erosion has displaced 1,130 families and almost 22,000 houses were also damaged by floods in the district.

Tarakandi upazila remained cut off after flood waters washed away Tarakandi-Bhuyanpur road several days ago.

State minister for disaster management and relief Enamur Rahman on Monday visited flood-affected areas in Bogura and said that there was no crisis of relief.

The New Age correspondents in different districts and other media reports, however, continued to report acute shortage of food and safe drinking water in all 27 flood-hit districts.

The FFWC in its Monday morning bulletin said that the Padma and the Jamuna might continue to recede until Tuesday morning.

A total of 11 rivers were flowing above their danger levels at 20 points at 9:00am on Monday, said the FFWC.

In 24 hours until 9:00am Monday the highest rainfall of 119 mm in the country was recorded at Lalakhal, said the FFWC.

Heavy rain was also reported in many places across Sylhet division.

It rained 173mm in Jalpaiguri during the same period, said the FFWC.

In Cherapunji it rained 119 mm in 24 hours until 9:00am Monday, the FFWC said.

The FFWC predicted that flood water would continue to recede from the district of Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogura, Tangail, Sirajganj, Manikganj, Rajbari, Faridpur and Munshiganj until Tuesday morning.

The Met Office recorded country’s highest rainfall of 110mm in 24 hours until 9:00am at Tetulia.