In Sherpur’s Nalitabari, a child drowned while playing near floodwaters, raising the district’s death toll to nine. Although no new rainfall has occurred, floodwaters have started to recede in Mymensingh and Sherpur. However, in Netrakona, the flood situation continues to worsen due to hill torrents.
On Tuesday, October 8, during a visit to Jhenaigati, Nalitabari, and Sreebardi, the flood situation showed slight improvement. Despite receding floodwaters, over 150,000 people in five upazilas remain trapped in waterlogged areas. Thousands have taken shelter in relief centers after floodwaters inundated their homes. Severe shortages of food and clean drinking water have made their situation worse.
Many shelter residents reported that floodwaters washed away fish from their ponds. Additionally, thousands of hectares of Aman rice fields are now underwater.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center reports that water levels in the Kansh, Jingiram, Someshwari, and Old Brahmaputra rivers continue to rise in the Mymensingh division. Water levels in the Bhogai River remain stable. In Sherpur, the Bhogai and Nakuagaon rivers are flowing above danger levels, as is the Jingiram River in Jamalpur’s Gualkanda point.
A flood forecasting official confirmed that the situation has worsened in Netrakona. Although the Someshwari River’s water level has decreased, the Ubdakhali River continues to flow 29 centimeters above danger level. Water levels in the Kansh River have also risen, flooding new areas.
In Netrakona, around 150 villages in Duragpur and Kalmakanda are now underwater. Several thousand people in the district remain waterlogged, with crops and fish farms swept away by the floodwaters.
Major Jisanul Haider, who oversees army operations in Netrakona, announced that they are continuing relief efforts in Purbadhala. Cooked meals are also being distributed in some flood-affected areas.
Mohammad Imdadul Haque, the district assistant education officer, announced the closure of 202 government primary schools due to flooding. The closures affect 62 schools in Durgapur, 11 in Purbadhala, 109 in Kalmakanda, and 20 in the Sadar upazila.
Sarwar Jahan, the executive engineer of the Netrakona Water Development Board, reported that most rivers in the district are flowing below danger levels, except for the Ubdakhali River. The water from upstream hill torrents is flowing into the Ubdakhali River, pushing it above danger levels.
Deputy Commissioner Banani Biswas confirmed that in Purbadhala, a broken embankment has left 7-8 villages waterlogged. Around 80 families have taken shelter in relief centers. Although water levels are decreasing in most areas, full normalization will take time. So far, hundreds of families have received relief, and there is adequate relief supply in stock.