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The Teesta River rose 3 centimetres above its danger level at the Dalia point in Nilphamari on Wednesday night, raising the risk of temporary flooding in low-lying areas as heavy rainfall continues upstream.
Officials of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said intense monsoon rainfall in northeastern India and northern Bangladesh has significantly increased river flows, creating the possibility of short-term flooding in parts of the greater Rangpur region.
“The Teesta was flowing 3cm above its danger level at Dalia at 9:00pm after a sharp rise in the previous six hours,” BWDB’s Teesta Barrage Division Executive Engineer Amitav Chowdhury told media.
Earlier in the day, the river had been flowing 11cm below the danger mark at the same point.
With water levels continuing to rise due to a heavy upstream inflow, authorities warned that low-lying floodplains and char areas along the river could be inundated over the next 24 to 48 hours.
However, water levels remained below the danger mark at other monitoring stations, including Kawnia in Rangpur, Tarapur and Haripur in Gaibandha.
All 44 gates of the Teesta Barrage remain open to help manage the increasing flow, Chowdhury said.
BWDB Rangpur Circle Superintending Engineer Md Ahsan Habib said officials are closely monitoring the situation, warning that temporary flooding may affect char and low-lying areas in Nilphamari, Rangpur and Lalmonirhat over the next couple of days.
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) said water levels in the Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers also increased during the past 24 hours.
According to the FFWC, the Teesta may continue to flow above the danger level at several locations in Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Rangpur during the next 24 to 48 hours, causing temporary flooding in adjacent low-lying areas.
The agency also warned that the Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers could reach the warning level within the next 72 hours, potentially inundating nearby low-lying areas in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over Sylhet, Chattogram, Rangpur, Mymensingh and Rajshahi divisions, as well as neighbouring Indian states, over the next two days, increasing the risk of further river swelling.
