FFWC issues flood warning for Feni’s low-lying areas

Bangla Press Desk:   The Water Development Board’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) has signalled a possibility of a short-term flood in the low-lying areas of Feni, as the water level of several rivers continues to rise.

At the same time, low-lying areas of Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Sherpur, Mymensingh, and Netrokona may also be inundated, said the FFWC.

Due to heavy rainfall triggered by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, water levels of the Muhuri, Selonia, and Feni rivers may rise, causing short-term floods in the low-lying areas of Feni district, according to a special bulletin from the FFWC issued on Thursday.

In Chattogram district, the Feni River may flow at the danger mark, causing floods in the adjacent low-lying areas, said FFWC Executive Engineer Md Mahmudul Islam Shovon.

Citing the Meteorological Department’s data, he said, “A well-marked low-pressure area over the west-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining northwest Bay has moved northwestward, intensified into a low, and later, into a deep depression, where it currently persists. By Thursday night, it may cross India’s Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast.”

In the last 24 hours, heavy to very heavy rainfall was recorded in parts of Barishal, Rangpur, and Mymensingh divisions. Among those areas, 119 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in Barguna, 78 millimetres in Dalia of Nilphamari, and 50 millimetres in Jamalpur, according to the FFWC bulletin.

No significant heavy rainfall was recorded upstream in India at that time. However, over the next two days, scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in both Bangladesh and the upstream Indian states.

The FFWC mentioned that water levels of the Teesta, Dharla, and Dudhkumar rivers in Rangpur division may continue to rise over the next three days. During this time, the Teesta River may flow at the danger level, inundating low-lying areas of Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts.

Meanwhile, water levels of the Someshwari, Bhugai, and Kangsha rivers in Mymensingh division may rise over the next three days. These rivers may flow at the danger level in Sherpur, Mymensingh, and Netrokona districts, flooding adjacent low-lying areas.

The bulletin also mentioned that coastal rivers in Barishal, Khulna, and Chattogram divisions are experiencing higher-than-normal tides, which may persist for the next two days.

Among major river basins, the water level of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna is expected to fall for one day and then rise over the following four days; however, it is likely to remain below the danger level.

BP/TD