Bangladesh: Rushing dam floodwaters maroon thousands

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Bangladesh saw fresh flooding on Wednesday in its western regions after India opened all 199 gates of the Farakka Dam after floods in Patna, northeastern India.

Nearly 78,000 people among some 18,600 families in the Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts were marooned due to the onrush of floodwater from upstream of the Padma River, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported on Wednesday.

Low-lying areas are currently flooded, with 8,342 hectares (32 square miles) of standing crops destroyed, the report added.

The government has initiated a relief and rehabilitation program in the area.

The country's Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said the flood could remain for more than a week.

A press statement from Bangladesh's Ministry of Water Resources said the gates of the Farakka Dam were open from July until October.

It added that heavy rainfall in the Ganges River basin cause floods in parts of India and Bangladesh.

Requests for comment from the Indian government on the flooding were unsuccessful.