Rivers at highest levels since records began, 60 000 homes destroyed or damaged, Bangladesh
At least 60 000 homes were washed away or damaged in 13 districts across Bangladesh after a heavy monsoon rains hit Bangladesh and neighboring countries over the past week. At least 26 people have been killed and 3 million marooned. Over the past couple of days, rivers overflowed in 122 upazilas, flooding thousands of villages.
According to a special flood bulletin issued by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) on Thursday, July 18, 2019, rivers Jamuna and Teesta are at levels not seen in 40 years of water level records.
The Jamuna River was 21.29 cm (8.38 inches) above the danger level at Bahadurabad and Fulchhari on July 17, breaking the previous record of 20.84 cm (8.20 inches) at Bagadyrabad set in 2017 and 21.13 cm (8.31 inches) set at Fulchhari in 2016.
New water level record was also set at River Teesta's Dalia point at 53.12 cm (20.91 inches) above danger level on July 12. The previous water level record at the point was 53.05 cm (20.88 inches) set in 2017.
Although levels of Teesta river keep falling, Jamuna is expected to continue swelling until at least Friday morning local time.
About 60 000 homes across 13 affected districts were already washed away or damaged and 2 700 km (1 677 miles) of roads.
3 247 454 people were stranded as of July 17 and 26 killed.
Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said the situation might turn worse in Bogura, Sirajganj, Tangail, Manikganj, Faridpur and Munshiganj, and remain unchanged at Kurigram, Jamalpur and Gaibandha over the next 24 hours.
Featured image credit: SOMOY TV
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