Lalmonirhat flood situation worsens
A farmer on a raft takes his goats to a safer place while a boy carries his sibling on shoulders yesterday at flood-hit Holdibari village in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat. PHOTO: STAR
Flood situation in the district deteriorated yesterday as the Teesta river water crossed danger level again at Daliya point of Hatibandha upazila. Teesta was flowing 12 centimetre above danger mark at dawn. Thousands of people in the river basin and the low-lying areas of 50 villages in three upazilas were marooned again due to sudden onrush of water from upstream. Hatibandha town protection embankment and Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway face threat as the swelling river continued to hit the dyke and the highway at Paruliya point of Hatibandha upazila, Water Development Board officials and locals said. Executive Engineer of Lalmonirhat WDB MA Matin Sarker told this correspondent that the Indian authorities on Friday night opened all the gates of Gajoldoba Barrage in India causing the onrush of water from upstream and swelling of river Teesta. The worse affected areas are Sindurna, Goddimari, Paruliya, Dawabari, Saniyajan unions of Hatibandha upazila, Votmari, Kakina unions of Kaliganj upazila, Mohishkhocha union of Aditmari upazila in the district, said Lalmonirhat DC office sources. According to administration sources, at least 70,000 people were marooned in Teesta shoals and low-lying areas in Hatibandha, Kaliganj and Aditmari upazilas of the district. The flood hit people are facing severe food and water crisis, they said. Flood affected Foyzar Ali, 48, at Holdibari village of Hatibandha upazila said all the villagers are passing days without food and pure drinking water. "We did not get any help from the government or non-government organisation," he added. Nur Jahan Begum, 55, another flood affected at Sindurna village said, "Our children are starving. We cannot provide foods, as we are marooned." Sindurna UP chairman of Hatibandha upazila Khotib Uddin told this correspondent that his office has already sought relief materials for flood affected people. Teesta is on the rise and his people had no time to remove their belongings, he added. Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner DC Mokhlesar Rahman Sarker said his office has already sanctioned 18 metric tonnes of rice as relief material for the flood affected people in three upazilas in the last one week. "But it is simply peanuts for 70,000 people in 50 villages", he added.
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