Brahmaputra-Jamuna river systems continue to rise
Water levels of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river systems continued to rise following incessant onrush of water from the upstream in Brahmaputra basin during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today. Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said water levels of major rivers might continue to rise during the next 24 hours in the basin.
Water levels of the Brahmaputra and Jamuna are rising and flowing below the danger marks and the trend may continue for the next 24 hours and remain stable for the subsequent four days without creating any flood situation. A bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) of BWDB today forecast that water level of the Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar in Rangpur division are in rising trend, but flowing below the danger marks this morning.
The trend of very heavy rainfall has decreased in Rangpur division and adjacent upstream predicting no possibility of any flood situation in the coming days. Water levels of the Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers may continue to rise in the next 24 hours and fall in the next two days.
"In the next 24 hours, water levels of the Teesta in Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts may cross the danger marks and the adjoining low-lying areas may be inundated," the bulletin said. However, water levels of the Teesta may fall and flow below the danger marks in the next two days. Water levels of Dharla and Dudhkumar may flow below the danger marks in Kurigram district for the next three days.
"In the upstream Indian states, the recorded rainfalls during the past 24 hours till 9am today were 170mm at Jalpaiguri, 130mm at Kalimpong, 83mm at Coochbehar and 27mm at Dibrugarh points," the bulletin said. Besides, the recorded rainfalls were 93mm at Panchagarh, 69mm at Dalia, 54mm at Chilmari and 51mm at Thakurgaon points in the Brahmaputra basin.
During the last 24 hours ending at 9am today, the Teesta rose by 24cm at Dalia in Nilphamari and 30cm at Kawnia in Rangpur. "As a result of further rise in water levels, the Teesta was flowing just below its danger marks by only 5cm at Dalia and 11cm at Kawnia points respectively at 3pm today," Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Md. Mahbubur Rahman told BSS.
Despite rise in water levels, the Brahmanpara, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Dharla, Jamuneswari, Ghaghot and Kartoa were flowing well below their respective danger marks," the Chief Engineer said. "BWDB Engineers and officials of the local administrations are closely monitoring the situation. We have taken adequate preventive steps to save flood control structures and face any situation anytime and anywhere in the zone," he added.
