Heavy rain, upstream flows trigger flood threat for 9 districts

Bangladesh's water development authority has issued a special flood warning for nine districts, cautioning that relentless heavy to very heavy rainfall combined with hillstream flows from upstream India are pushing river levels rapidly upward and could trigger short-duration flooding in low-lying areas within days.

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre issued the alert on Sunday (June 28).

The warning notes that the Kushiyara river at Fenchuganj point in Sylhet is already flowing 4 centimetres above the danger level.

According to the forecast, within the next 48 hours the Teesta, Dharla, and Dudhkumar rivers are likely to breach danger levels at several points across Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Rangpur, and Gaibandha districts. Within 72 hours, the Surma and Kushiyara rivers in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts may also exceed danger levels at multiple points, raising the risk of short-duration flooding in riverine low-lying areas of those districts.

Between July 1 and 3, the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river system is expected to reach warning levels in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, and Bogura districts, with the possibility of inundation in riverside low-lying localities.

The BWDB urged residents of riverbank communities in the affected districts to take necessary precautions and follow guidance from local administration as the situation develops.