An embankment which broke under  increased water pressure has been reconstructed by the residents of Khulna’s Koyra upazila to protect houses, land crops, and fish enclosures. Koyra Upazila Parishad Chairman SM Shafiqul Islam and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Animesh Biswas led the initiative and completed the construction of the ring dam from morning tide to noon tide. Imtiaz Uddin, general secretary of the Koira development coordination committee, said that about 3,000 people of South Bedkashi union had built the broken 300-meter dam together to ease the sufferings. Read: Embankment goes into riverbed in Khulna  The Water Development Board has given some sacks for this work, he added. Earlier, the embankment started to break on Sunday noon. According to Osman Gani, a member of the local ward, a road on one side of the Charmukha canal went into the riverbed around 4:00am. As a result, around 7 to 8 thousand people of five villages have been stranded. Villagers tried to repair the dam on their own initiative but failed on Sunday. However on Monday they managed to rebuild the dam.

The High Court on Sunday directed the government authorities to submit a proper list of the country's rivers and division-wise list of illegal occupiers. The court asked the finance secretary, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Water Development Board (WDB) and all the district commissioners to submit the lists within six months. The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Mia and Md Kamrul Hossain Molla passed the order during a hearing on a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA). Lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan represented BElA at the hearing while Deputy Attorney General Nowroz Md Rasel Chowdhury appeared for the state. Read: 20-year masterplan to revive Dhaka's rivers in the works Syeda Rizwana said there is an inconsistency regarding the number of rivers in Bangladesh. “Even after the court passed many directions the river areas are determined wrongly which actually facilitates the illegal grabbing. At some places the action to evict occupiers is going on but not in all," she said. According to the petition, WDB data says there are 405 rivers in Bangladesh while National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) mentions 707 and a private research says 1,182. As the number of rivers remained undetermined, so did the number of illegal occupiers, it said. NRCC data shows there are 57, 390 listed illegal occupiers while reports in national dailies exceed it. Read: 60 illegal establishments evicted from Kirtankhola river banks Recently the state minister for the shipping ministry told the Parliament there are 65, 127 river occupiers in the country. BELA filed the writ in view of the discrepancy, Rizwana said.

The Water Development Board (WDB) has issued a red alert in the Teesta Basin after the river swelled above danger level due to onrush of water from upstream. Teesta crossed 60 cm above danger level since Wednesday afternoon due to the onrush of hill water and heavy rainfall upstream in India. The authorities in Bangladesh have ordered an evacuation of the people living in villages along the river’s banks. Extreme panic is prevailing among the residents of Teesta bank due to the sudden rise of Teesta water. In addition, flood fuses on the north side of the Teesta Barrage are reported to be under threat of getting damaged. Due to the rise in Teesta, 15 villages of Purba Chhatnai, Tapa Kharibari, Khagakharibari, Khalisha Chapani, Jhunagach Chapani and Gayabari Union of Dimla upazila of Nilphamari and six villages of sandbar of Jaldhaka upazila have been flooded. The residents of those areas have evacuated to safer places, said the people's representatives of those unions. Hundreds of hectares of crop land have been inundated. READ: Teesta flowing above danger level, 44 barrage gates opened Abdul Latif Khan, Purbachhatnai UP chairman of Dimla upazila in Nilphamari, said the right bank of the Teesta at Zero Point in the area and the Groen dam is under threat of getting damaged. Water is flowing especially over the Groen dam. If the Groen collapses, hundreds of houses in the area, including the dam on the right bank of the Teesta, will be washed away by the Teesta River. Tepakharibari UP chairman Moinul Haque said the Teesta Bazar, Telirbazar, Dolapara and Charkharibari areas have already been submerged. All crop lands in the sandbars are under water. In Lalmonirhat, the Barakhata to Hatibandha bypass road has collapsed at various places due to sudden rise in water level of Teesta river. As a result, thousands of families in this union have been marooned. Thousands of acres of crop land on the banks of Teesta in five upazilas of Lalmonirhat district have been submerged in water. Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner Abu Jafar said he has instructed the union chairmen and UNOs to look over the flood situation in these areas. The Teesta river was flowing 52.70 cm above the danger level at Dalia point on Tuesday night while it was flowing 60 cm above the danger level around 10 am on Wednesday. This is due to the onrush of hill water and heavy rainfall, according to Board officials. READ: Teesta turns turbulent in Kurigram; leaves 100 families homeless The low-lying areas of Dahgram in Patgram upazila, Gaddimari, Singamari, Sinduna, Patikapara, Dauabari in Hatibandha upazila and Bhotmari, Soilmari, Nohli, Char Boirati in Kaliganj upazilas of Lalmonirhat district have been flooded, affecting some 10,000 families. Asfaudoula, executive engineer of the Water Development Board at Dalia point, said  “The Teesta water is flowing 60 cm above its danger mark and the authorities concerned have opened all the 44 gates of the barrage.” Besides, the residents along the river have been asked to take shelter in safer places issuing red alert.

Seven villages in Fulgazi upazila of Feni district have got submerged as the flood control embankment along the Muhuri River collapsed due to the onrush of water, destroying crops and dwellings. The river was flowing 140 cm above its danger level, cutting off road communications with Parshuram areas. Sources at the upazila administration and Water Development Board (WDB) said the embankment at Jaipur point in Fulgazi Sadar Union got damaged due to the deluge of water from across the border. READ: Searches, sorrow in wake of Ida’s destructive, deadly floods They said the floods sent Fulgazi Sadar Union, West Ghaniamora, East Ghaniamora and Kismat Ghaniamoa, Jaipur, North Daulatpur, South Dinajpur and Bairagpur areas under water, damaging houses and huge crops. Fulgazi Union Parishad (UP) chairman Nurul Islam said the floodwater poured into the villages through the damaged parts of the embankment at Jaipur part in Sadar Union.

The Water Development Board (WDB) opened all the 44 gates of Teesta Barrage on Friday to rein in the high water pressure, with the river flowing 35cm above the danger level. Around 11am on Friday, water flow in the barrage was recorded at 52.95 cm, said WDB officials. "Due to heavy rains, most of the gates of Gajal Doba barrage on the Indian side were opened, which increased the water level of the Teesta and adjoining small rivers," said Executive Engineer Mizanur Rahman. But the official said the water level may decrease by afternoon. Also read: Teesta turns turbulent in Kurigram; leaves 100 families homeless Flood-like situation triggered by the increased water level of the river is giving several residents of the district sleepless nights. The worst-hit are around 3,000 families in Angarpota-Dahagram of Patgram upazila, Gaddimari, Singimari, Sinduna, Patikapara, Dauabari union sandbar area, Mahishkhocha union of Aditmari upazila, Rajpur of Sadar upazila, Khuniagach, Gokunda union and the Sandbar area of Kaliganj upazila. Also read: Teesta flowing above danger level with India opening barrage gates These families have demanded speedy implementation of the Teesta mega project as this is the fourth time this year that they have been hit.

 

The Bhadra and Shalta rivers in Khulna's Dumuria upazila have filled up in just one year after re-excavation that cost Tk 46.25 crore.

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman on Thursday said the flood situation in nine districts including Faridpur, Munshiganj, Tangail, Manikganj, Shariatpur may worsen further in the next 24 hours.

The low-lying areas of five upazilas in Sirajganj were newly flooded as the water level of Jamuna River continued to rise due to heavy shower.

Some 6,632 hectares of paddy fields were submerged in Sariakandi upazila on Monday as the Jamuna River swelled and broke its banks following incessant rainfall over the past few days.