Daulatpur: The water level of the Padma River in Daulatpur upazila has continued to rise, leaving around 60,000 people stranded in 35 villages in the char areas of Ramkrishnapur and Chilmari unions. The river rose by 3 centimetres in the past 24 hours and was flowing just 75 centimetres below the danger level at the Hardinge Bridge point on Saturday morning.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the Hydrology Division of the Pabna Water Development Board (PWDB) recorded the water level at 13.05 metres at 9:00am on Saturday, against the danger level of 13.80 metres. The river was at 13.02 metres at the same time on Friday. The water level had been rising by around 10 to 12 centimetres a day over the past week, but the rate of increase slowed considerably in the past 24 hours.
Ilias Hossain, executive engineer of the PWDB Hydrology Division, attributed the rise to heavy rainfall and an influx of upstream water. 'However, the rate of increase slowed to 3 centimetres in the last 24 hours. It is too early to say whether the water level will continue to rise,' he said.
Floodwaters have inundated large areas of Ramkrishnapur and Chilmari unions, as well as low-lying char areas of Philipnagar Union, disrupting road communication. Abdul Mannan, Chairman of Chilmari Union Parishad, reported that 17 of the union's 19 villages have been flooded, leaving around 30,000 people stranded. He noted that the situation on Saturday showed slight improvement compared to the previous days, as the water-level rise had decelerated.
Ramkrishnapur Union Parishad Chairman Siraj Mondal stated that all 16 villages in the union were surrounded by floodwater, with roads submerged, making boats and makeshift rafts the only means of transport. More than 30,000 people are stranded in the union, he said.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Rehena Parveen indicated that approximately 351 hectares of farmland in Chilmari, Ramkrishnapur, Philipnagar, and Moricha unions have been submerged. Chilli and banana growers have suffered the heaviest losses, with potential for increased damage if the water level continues to rise.
Classes have been suspended at 25 government primary schools and three secondary schools in the char areas due to the flooding, although administrative activities at the institutions remain operational, according to the Upazila Education Office. The flooding has also submerged cooking areas and tube wells, causing shortages of food and safe drinking water. Farmers and livestock owners are facing challenges in protecting and feeding their animals.
Residents like Abu Biswas, 65, of Ramkrishnapur, are struggling with floodwater rising to waist level inside homes, forcing families to relocate to higher ground. Julekha Khatun of Char Sonatala described floodwater flowing through her home after a road collapse, halting cooking activities and making meal arrangements difficult. Shymol Mondal reported five bighas of his chilli crop underwater, complicating mobility and raising fears of snakes.
Locals have raised concerns over the increased presence of venomous snakes in the flooded areas, calling for urgent supplies of dry food, safe drinking water, and mobile medical teams. Dr Touhidul Hasan Tuhin, upazila health and family planning officer, assured that the Upazila Health Complex has sufficient stocks of anti-venom and advised against seeking traditional healers after snake bites, urging immediate hospital visits instead.