Heavy rain and not Farakka barrage is causing the overflow of rivers resulting in floods in the northwestern part of Bangladesh, according to the Water Development Board.
“The Indian part of Farakka barrage doesn’t have any contribution in the flood situation,” Md Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer in Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the board, said on Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.
India on Monday opened all of the 119 gates of the Farakka barrage across the Ganges river due to floods in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar caused by heavy rains.
Bhuiyan said: “The opening of gates by India this season is a regular phenomenon.”
Continuous downpour and rising water level in the upstream may bring floods to Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Kushtia and Natore in the Padma basin, BWDB engineers said earlier.
The flood situation may worsen as India has already opened the gates, the media reported.
The water level rose for all major rivers. The Padma River was flowing 7 cm above the danger level at Goalanda point. The Garai River was flowing 5 cm above the danger level at Kamarkhali point in Kushtia.
Rivers in the Ganges-Padma basin will continue to swell for the next 72 hours and the water level at Hardinge Bridge and Bhagyakul point may cross the danger level, BWDB forecast.
The floods in July were caused by heavy rain and the country is experiencing the same situation now due to downpour, Bhuiyan said.
“One part of the barrage was already open. Now the flow of water entering the country is caused by rain,” Bhuiyan said.
“It is natural that the water will pass through the rivers in our country as we are situated downstream. The water will recede through the middle part of the country. There’s nothing to panic.”