Padma recedes after 10-day rise, Mahananda, Punarbhaba continue swelling in Chapainawabganj

Water levels in the Padma River in Chapainawabganj began falling on Sunday after rising for 10 consecutive days, offering some relief to riverside communities even as the Mahananda and Punarbhaba rivers continued to swell.

According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board, the Padma fell by 6 centimetres in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday, with the water level at the Pankha point recorded at 21.73 metres.

In contrast, water in the Mahananda rose by 3 centimetres and the Punarbhaba by 4 centimetres during the same period.

The Padma began rising on September 2 and approached the danger level on September 11, inundating low-lying areas of Sadar and Shibganj upazilas. Around 3,500 families remain waterlogged, while classes have been disrupted at 29 educational institutions.

Flooding has also damaged crops on about 130.40 hectares of land, with reports of waterborne diseases, including diarrhoea and skin infections, in affected areas.

Md Rakibul Islam, sub-divisional engineer of the Chapainawabganj Water Development Board, said the Padma level was expected to fall rapidly, while water in the Mahananda and Punarbhaba would likely begin receding within two to three days, helping the flooded areas return to normal.