Padma nears danger mark, submerges low-lying areas

The Padma River in Chapainawabganj rose 7 centimetres in the past 24 hours amid an onrush of upstream water, leaving the river just 29 centimetres below its danger level, officials said Friday (September 11).

The river was flowing at 21.76 metres above mean sea level at 6:00am, against the danger mark of 22.05 metres, according to the Water Development Board.

Despite the overall rise, the water level remained unchanged during the three hours before Friday morning, said S.M. Ahsan Habib, executive engineer of the Chapainawabganj Water Development Board.

The rising river has already inundated several low-lying areas in the district, leaving some families marooned and submerging farmland and sections of local roads.

Residents said they were increasingly concerned that the situation could worsen if the river continues to rise.

Water Development Board officials said they were closely monitoring the river but stressed that the water level had yet to cross the danger threshold.