The flood situation is getting worse in Kurigram and Nilphamari as the Brahmaputra, Dharla and Teesta rivers are flowing above the danger level, while it has remained unchanged in Lalmonirhat.

In Kurigram, the situation has worsened as the water level of the Brahmaputra and Dharla rivers is rising and inundating more areas.

Around 55 thousand people of over 200 char areas in 30 unions under seven upazilas of the district were marooned as the low-lying char areas of the Brahmaputra and the Dharla rivers got flooded due to downpour and onrush of water from upstream for the last three days.

The Brahmaputra was flowing 16 centimetres above the danger level in Chilmari Ghat point in Chilmari upazila, while the Dharla was flowing five centimetres below danger level at Dharla Bridge point in Sadar upazila of the district yesterday, said an official of the Water Development Board (WDB) in Kurigram.

Around 15 thousand people of over 20 villages of nine unions under Sadar and Phulbari upazilas were marooned by floodwater of the Dharla river, while around 40 thousand people of over 110 villages of 21 unions under Sadar, Nageswari, Ulipur, Chilmari, Roumari and Rajibpur upazilas were marooned by floodwater of the Brahmaputra river, local sources said.

BM Abul Hossen, chairman of Hatia Union Parishad under Ulipur upazila, said, "Around 1,600 people of 10 villages are facing shortage of fodder and communication has been cut-off. Besides, their children cannot go to their schools."

In Nilphamari, onrush of water through an unwanted new channel of the Teesta continues to damage schools, bridges and earthen dams. It has been devouring homesteads and croplands for two weeks in Dimla upazila.

The surge has raised the water level of the Teesta to 30 centimetres above the danger mark, WDB sources said.

Locals said the new channel of Teesta was created due to recent construction of a dam upstream in Indian territory. The onrush of water is diverted by the dam and hits the Teesta's left embankment at Char Kharibari village near Bangladesh-India border.

This has caused massive devastation in Char Kharibari, Putbo Kharibari, Fakrater char, Maddya Kharibari, Jhinjir para, Tabur char, Ekotar bazar, Meher Tari, Puraton Tapur char and Tepakharibari villages of Dimla upazila.

Rabiul Islam Shahin, chairman of Tepakharibari Union Parishad, said the violent flow of water has damaged four bridges in his union, disrupting road communication.

The onrush also swallowed 250 homesteads and around 300 acres of land. About 600 families shifted to safer places from the affected villages. The surge submerged two community clinics at Ekotar char and Char Kharibari, hampering health services.

Robiul Islam, upazila primary education officer (UPEO) of Dimla, said four government primary schools have been totally or partially damaged or subsided due to the strong current through the new channel.

In Lalmonirhat, overall flood situation at 80 villages of 16 unions was unchanged yesterday, and the Teesta and Dharla rivers were flowing below the danger level. The water level of other small rivers in the district decreased yesterday.

Hazrat Ali, 58, of Gobordhan village under Aditmari upazila, said, "We have been living in an inhuman situation since Saturday evening. We have no scope to cook our meal as we are surrounded by water. So we need dry food like chira, muri, gur," he said.

"There is still knee deep water in our houses, and all the link roads are under water, so we can't move freely," said Hamida Bewa, 60, of the village. "There is acute crisis of pure drinking water in our village as all the tube-wells are submerged," she added.

Mosaddeque Hossain, chairman of Mahishkhocha Union Parishad under Aditmari upazila, said at least 2,300 families of his union have been badly affected by flood. "I have prepared a list of flood affected people, but I didn't get any materials for distributing to them," he added. 

Idris Ali, Lalmonirhat district relief and rehabilitation officer, said the government has allocated 35 tonnes of rice and a huge quantity of dry food like chira, muri, gur, bread for flood affected people in the district, and these relief materials are being distributed.

Farmer Noor Islam, 55, of Char Narsingh, said he prepared seedlings to cultivate aman paddy in the current season, but about fifty percent of the seedlings were damaged by flood. "The lands will be uncultivated if I do not get aman seedlings in the local market within this month," he said.

Sarowar Ul-Haque, acting deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, said farmers will get seedlings available in the local market, he said.