Water levels start to decrease in flood-affected areas, situation likely to improve within 48 hours

The water levels of some rivers in the flood-affected districts, including the Gomti River in Cumilla, have begun to recede this afternoon (23 August) after rising till the early hours of the day, according to the latest data from the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).

At 3:00pm today, the FFWC data showed that water levels in Gumti, Kushiyara, Manu, Khowai, Meghna, and Halda rivers had decreased 2 to 90 centimetres in the last six hours, bringing a slimmer of hope of improving the ongoing situation.

The water in the rivers, however, continues to flow above the danger level.

So far, at least 15 people have died across the country due to the flooding. Some 48 lakh people have been affected in at least 11 districts.

"The flood situation is likely to improve after 48 hours. In the upstream, rainfall has decreased, and conditions are improving," FFWC Executive Engineer Sarder Udoy Raihan told The Business Standard.

"Water flow is running low in India. It will affect the country as well," he added.

Water levels of the Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers are also decreasing. In contrast, the water level in the Ganga-Padma River remains stable and is expected to remain that way for the next 48 hours, said FFWC Executive Engineer Raihan.

He also said the water levels of the Surma and Kushiara rivers in northeastern part of the country is also stable at the moment, and is likely to decrease in the next 24 hours.

Besides, the water levels of Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers in the northern part of the country are also decreasing. Water flow is likely to return to normal level in these rivers within the next 48 hours, said Raihan.

In its morning bulletin, the FFWC said the water level of the main rivers in the northeastern, eastern and southeastern regions of the country is decreasing at a slow pace.

It also said that in the last 24 hours, heavy rainfall was not observed in eastern Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, and Feni districts bordering India's Tripura and inland basins of Tripura province. In addition, the water level of upstream rivers have also begun to recede.

As a result, the existing flood situation in the lower areas of Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Feni, Cumilla, and Chattogram districts is improving at a slow pace, noted FFWC.

According to the data released by the meteorological offices, there is little possibility of heavy rainfall in the northeastern region of the country and adjacent uplands in the next 24 hours. Heavy rainfall is also not expected in the southeast, eastern, and adjacent uplands during the period.

This is expected to result in an improvement of the flood situation in the lower areas adjacent to the Manu, Khoai, and Dhalai rivers of Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts of the northeastern region; and in the lower areas adjacent to rivers such as Feni, Gomti, Halda, and Muhuri in Feni, Cumilla, and Chattogram districts.