No rise in river waters in flood zones for 40 hours

Water level did not increase in any rivers running through the floods-affected areas  in the last 40 hours till 9:00pm today (24 August), according to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).

Rather, FFWC data shows that water levels in the Gomati, Kushiyara, Manu, Khowai, Meghna, and Halda rivers have decreased by up to 200 centimetres during the said period, bringing a hope of improving the ongoing situation.

However, the water levels in the Gomati River in Cumilla and the Muhuri River in Feni are decreasing very slowly, at a rate of less than 5 centimetres per 3 hours.

According to the flood forecasting agency, the water levels in major rivers in the northeastern, eastern, and southeastern regions of the country have begun to recede. 

Water levels in six points remain above the danger level, including Amalshid of Kushiyara (11 cm), Sheola of Kushiyara (1 cm), Sherpur-Sylhet of Kushiyara (7 cm), Marculi of Kushiyara (1cm), Moulvibazar of Manu (66 cm), Balla of Khowai (25 cm), Cumilla of Gomati (92cm), and Feni of Ramgar (30cm).

River points  below the danger level include Habiganj (Khowai), Manu Railway Bridge (Manu), Debidwar (Gomati), Narayanhat (Halda), and Panpukuria (Halda).

Additionally, the water levels in the Muhuri (Bilonia-Tripura) and Gomati (Amarpur) rivers have decreased by 5cm and 3cm, respectively, in the past 4 hours. The Feni (Sabroom) station has also seen a decline of 5cm in the past 5 hours.

There has been no significant rainfall in the country since 9:00am today and no significant rainfall is expected for rest of the day.

FFWC Executive Engineer Sarder Udoy Raihan told TBS that the receding water levels in upstream rivers are leading to an improvement in the current flood situation in the low-lying areas of Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Feni, Cumilla, and Chattogram districts.

"The water level in the Gomati River is decreasing slowly, and some areas of the flood-affected region also experienced rainfall on Saturday. As a result, we anticipate that the flood situation may improve by 25 August. However, it will take additional time for the water levels to recede significantly," he said.

He went on to say, "While there has been some rainfall in certain areas, it has not been heavy, and no new flood forecasts are expected for the coming days. Additionally, even if water is released from the Kaptai Dam, it is not predicted to have a major impact on the flood situation."

BMD meteorologist Md Monowar Hossain said there has been a significant decrease in rainfall in the flood-affected areas.

"However, heavy rainfall is expected in three coastal divisions (Chattogram, Barishal, Khulna) on Sunday. Although the rainfall will not be prolonged, it may occur in isolated areas and will not significantly impact the flood situation," he added.

Hossain also mentioned that while heavy rainfall has decreased in the region, including India's Tripura, some areas are still experiencing heavy rain.

Mentioning that this situation may persist for the next 2-3 days, he stated that currently, there are no unusual weather patterns, and the overall weather conditions are relatively normal.