In the last three days, about two and a half thousand millimeters of rain has fallen in Assam and Meghalaya of India upstream of Bangladesh. The rain water has entered all the districts of Sylhet division of Bangladesh. The government’s Flood Forecast and Warning Center forecast that heavy to very heavy rains are likely to continue in the upper parts of India and Bangladesh for the next three days. As a result, the flood situation is likely to deteriorate further.
On the other hand, the waters of Teesta and Brahmaputra, the main rivers in the northern part of the country, are rising rapidly. Meanwhile, flood waters have entered the lower reaches of four districts of the Teesta Basin. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said that the flood situation in Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Rangpur and Kurigram could deteriorate rapidly. When the water of Brahmaputra flows through Jamuna, flood water can reach Bogra, Sirajganj and Tangail in three-four days.
Meanwhile, communication system in most parts of Sylhet division has been disrupted due to deteriorating flood situation. The telephone network has become inoperable. In the interest of safety and to avoid accidents, the entire Sylhet has been disconnected from the power department. As a result, Sylhet division has become virtually isolated from the rest of the country.
Asked about this, Saiful Islam, a professor at the Institute of Flood and Water Management at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, told Prothom Alo that the biggest floods in the last few decades have started in Sylhet division. This rain and flood may continue for two-three days. As a result, all the forces and agencies of the government have to be activated to protect the lives and property of the people of the area.
Meanwhile, the Hindustan Times reported, citing the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), that Cherrapunji in India is the rainiest region in the world. In the last 24 hours there has been 962 mm of rain, the highest in 122 years in June. And in the last three days there has been about two and a half thousand millimeters of rain. This is also the record for the highest rainfall in three days in the last 28 years.
The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast another 550 mm of rain in Cherrapunji in the next 24 hours. On the other hand, Guwahati in Assam upstream of the Brahmaputra may receive 300 mm of rainfall. The water will start flowing in Sylhet and Kurigram of Bangladesh as the downstream areas of those two areas. Even before that it was raining heavily in that area. Experts believe that with the addition of new water, the flood situation may worsen.
Meanwhile, as a flood forecasting and warning center, the waters of all rivers in the Sylhet division and the Teesta water in the northern part of the country have been flowing above the danger level since this morning. Out of 108 points of different rivers of the country, water of 8 is increasing and 20 is decreasing.
Asked about this, Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center, told Prothom Alo that the flood situation in Sylhet division could deteriorate for another two to three days. The flood situation in the north could also worsen rapidly. Because, heavy rain has started upstream, it is also raining inside Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, it has started raining in most parts of the country including the capital since this morning. The capital received 32 mm of rain till noon today. The highest rainfall in the country was 109 mm in Rangpur. In the next 24 hours, there will be moderate to heavy rain in some parts of Barisal and Khulna divisions and in most parts of the rest of the country. There may be heavy to very heavy rains in the northern and Sylhet divisions.