B'desh flood situation improves with receding water levels

Dhaka, Aug 27 (IANS) The overall flood situation in Bangladesh has improved in most of the districts with water levels receding in many rivers, an official said on Thursday.

Sarder Udoy Raihan, Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) executive engineer, told Xinhua news agency that water levels receded at most of the 101 observation points across the four major river basins.

He further said three major Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Padma rivers are in a falling trend, while the Ganges river is in a steady state and would remain stable in the next 72 hours.

Of the total 101 river observation points, Raihan said the water is currently flowing above the danger level merely at two points.

Since June, he said, the floods triggered by heavy seasonal rains and onrush of water from hills have left a trail of death, misery and destruction in their wake.

The disaster situation report prepared by the country's National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief said at least 5 million people have been affected by the floods while thousands of families were forced to flee home.

Three waves of devastating floods have claimed hundreds of lives in Bangladesh.

According to a flood report of the country's Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room, the floods have killed 226 people in 33 (out of 64) districts since June 30.

The loss of crops due to floods in Bangladesh was estimated at 13 billion taka ($156 million).