Teesta overflows, floods villages

A swollen Teesta has flooded scores of villages in the northern region while officials fear that heavy rains in Indian upstream areas will result in flash floods in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts any time.

Vast upstream areas in India are already experiencing a worsening flood situation amid torrential rains, and the level of water in the rivers in Bangladesh's Sylhet region is rising.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre forecast that the Teesta may swell past the danger level in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat today.  

Meanwhile, water levels in the Brahmaputra, Jamuna, and Padma rivers are also rising at different places, and may continue the trend until Thursday, the centre said in a bulletin.

The Teesta flowed 5 cm above its danger level at Teesta Barrage in Hatibandha yesterday morning. Besides, the water levels of the Brahmaputra, Dudhkumar and Dharla rivers have been rising in Kurigram.

Shunil Kumar, executive engineer of Water Development Board WDB in Lalmonirhat, said the Teesta was swelling alarmingly because all 44 gates at India's Gazaldoba Barrage had been opened.

Nazrul Islam, 55, a farmer of Sindurna village of Hatibandha, said water started entering his house yesterday morning and he was trying to move to a safer place.

Sadek Ali, 65, a farmer of Bagdora village in Lalmonirhat, said he and his family members took shelter on a road after their house went under water yesterday morning.

Abdullah Al Mamun, executive engineer of WDB in Kurigram, said water levels in the Brahmaputra, Dharla, Dudhkumar, and Gangadhar are rising continuously.