Five rivers flow above danger level as heavy rain inundates Netrokona

Flood conditions worsen as rivers overflow across six districts

Flood conditions have worsened across Bangladesh's north-eastern and south-eastern regions after days of heavy rainfall and hill runoff, with Netrokona newly inundated alongside Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Bandarban and Chattogram.

According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), water levels in five major rivers were above the danger mark at seven monitoring stations across six districts as of 6pm on Saturday.

The Someshwari River crossed the danger level at the Kalmakanda point in Netrokona during the three hours to 6pm, triggering fresh flooding in the district.

The most difficult situation remains in Bandarban, where the Sangu River was flowing 190cm above the danger level at the Bandarban station.

Although the river level fell by 11cm over the previous three hours, officials described the situation as “critical”.

The Matamuhuri River at Bandarban’s Lama remained 18cm above the danger level, which was 15cm above at 3pm.

Further downstream, water levels continued to rise in Chattogram.

At Dohazari, the Sangu River climbed another four centimetres and was flowing 38cm above the danger level by 6pm.

In the north-east, the Kushiyara River rose by one centimetre at Sylhet’s Fenchuganj, reaching 25cm above the danger level, while remaining steady at 15cm above the danger level at Markuli in Sunamganj.

Although the Manu River in Moulvibazar fell by 11cm, it was still flowing five centimetres above the danger level.

The FFWC said the Khowai River at Balla in Habiganj had dropped below the danger level earlier in the day, offering temporary relief.

However, the rise of the Someshwari River has increased the number of flood-affected districts back to six.

BWDB Executive Engineer Sarder Udoy Raihan said low-lying areas along the Surma, Sarigoain, Jadukata, Someshwari, and Bhugai-Kangsha river basins in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Sherpur, and Mymensingh could experience short-term flooding.

He added that water levels in the Sangu and Matamuhuri Rivers in Chattogram, Bandarban, and Cox's Bazar, as well as the Manu, Dhalai, and Khowai rivers in Moulvibazar and Habiganj, are expected to decline gradually over the next 24 hours, with flood conditions likely to improve slowly in adjacent low-lying areas.