Strong Padma currents interrupt ferry services

As flood water recedes, it is making a trail of devastation in many districts, devouring houses and croplands and displacing pontoons in the Padma River, causing problems to ferry movement on Paturia-Douladia route.
Due to serious disruption in ferry communications on Saturday, long traffic jams were created on the both sides of the Padma River, causing immense sufferings to the travelers, witnesses and officials said.
BIWTC assistant general manager of Aricha Ghat, Zillur Rahman, told New Age that the large ferries on the river route stopped navigating as pontoon at Dauladia could not be settled amid abrupt river erosions.
He, however, said that they were trying to make small two ferries operational to transport vehicles to lessen the tailbacks.
The river erosion caused by receding floodwater has been making people homeless and landless in many areas including Kurigram district (along Jamuna River).
The floodwater was retreating gradually from the affected areas due to fall in water levels in the major river systems while waterborne diseases continued to spread.
National Health Crisis Management Centre said that the death toll from the floods rose to 79 until Saturday while the number of patients stood at 6,320 since July 25, at various hospitals.
Of the patients, 2,649 people were suffering from diarrhea, New Age learnt.
Some 74 people, mostly minor children, drowned while five died of snake bites, said officials at the centre.
The Flood Forecasting Warning Centre said the flows of Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Padma and Surma-Kushiyara rivers were dropping.
The flood situation might continue to improve in low lands of Sirajganj, Bogra, Rajbari, Manikganj, Munshiganj and Shariatpur districts, FFWC said.
Douladia ferry pontoon manager Shafiqul Islam said that the number of ferries was cut as three pontoons were washed away by strong currents.
The stranded vehicles were being ferried slowly on a single ferry, he said.
In Munshiganj, 13 ferries were operating on Kewrakandi-Shimulia route carefully. As trucks get low priority, its line is getting longer over days, truck drivers said.
In Kurigram, floodwater was receding gradually and the overall flood situation improved there.
The Brahmaputra River continued eroding at Char Jatrapur, Char Parbatipur, Char Ghanasampur, Goruhara, Jhankarchar, Kalir Alga, Porar char and Char Vagabatipur under Kurigram Sadar upazila and that the river devoured houses of about 500 people in the last few days.
The homeless people took shelter on flood control dyke.
According to flood control room sources, some 6,522 families rendered homeless.
While visiting a dyke along the Brahmaputra River at Jatrapur on Saturday, three people– namely Salem 35, Aklema 45 and Rahima, 48– told New Age that their houses had been washed away and that they took shelter on the dyke. They have not received any relief materials, they claimed.
In Bogra, a college student went missing on Saturday afternoon while taking a bath in the water at Kalitola Groyen in Jamuna River at Sariakandi.
He was identified as Roni 20, a BBA third year student of government Shah Sultan College and a resident of Malgram in Bogra town.
The officer-in charge of Sariakandi police, Abu Sayeed Md Waheduzzaman, said that Roni drowned because of heavy current.
In Khulna, vast areas were flooded after an embankment broke during high tide at Chital Mari in Bagerhat. Residents of some 150 houses were marooned.
The UNO of Chital Mari, Anwar Parvez, said that authorities took necessary measures to repair the embankment rapidly.
In Munshiganj, despite improvement in flood situation, agonies of the affected people have intensified.
Padma water at Bhagyakul point was flowing 16cm above danger level and about 40 villages on the banks of the river were submerged.
Tongibari upazila chairman Kazi Wahid said that the administration distributed dry foods and cash of Tk one lakh among 1,000 calamity affected people.
In Sylhet, leaders of the Lions Club International on Saturday distributed relief goods among the flood-hit people in Sunamganj.
The LCI 315 B1 district unit distributed relief materials among more than 500 affected families of Mannargaon and Duhalia union at Doarabazar in Sunamganj.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net