Rivers in Sunamganj are rising steadily with continuous rain and hill torrents coming down from upstream. If the situation continues, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) fears a short-term flood in the district.

On the morning of 10 July the Surma rose another 10 cm and was flowing 50 cm below the danger level. The border rivers Jadukata, Boulai, Rakti and Patlai were also rising.

According to the BWDB, continuous rain at Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, India, is steadily raising all the rivers of the district, and a short-term flood is feared. In the 24 hours to that morning the Surma rose 10 cm to flow 50 cm below the danger level, and the district received 70 mm of rain.

The district administration has already put all offices on alert to deal with a disaster, preparing shelters in every upazila, forming volunteer and medical teams, arranging water purification and stocks of tablets, and keeping boats ready. A control room has been opened for information and communication on the disaster.

Emdadul Haque, executive engineer-2 of the BWDB, said the rivers in the district would start to fall once rain eases at Cherrapunji.

Mehedi Hasan Hridoy, assistant commissioner at the Deputy Commissioner's office, said the hill torrents could create a flood situation, and the district administration had already made all kinds of preparations to deal with it.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.