DHAKA, 20 August 2021, (TON): The stranded are passing miserable days without food and water Vast croplands and thousands of homesteads in low lying areas of 35 river basin villages in Rangpur have been flooded due to the sudden rise of the water level in the Teesta River.

While the river water had been rising steadily for the past few days, a flash flood hit seven unions under the Gangachara upazila of the district after the sudden heavy downpours and an onrush of water from the hilly areas upstream in India.

Rangpur Water Development Board Executive Engineer Ahsan Habib said “the water level crossed the danger mark at Dalia point and the river was flowing 16cm above the danger level as of 9am on Thursday.”

He added that the Teesta was flowing 12cm above the danger level in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur.

Gangachara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Taslima Begum said “About 4,000 families have become stranded after 35 villages in seven unions of the upazila went under 2-4ft of floodwater.”

According to upazila administration sources, about 2,000 families have become stranded in Sankardaha, Charichali, Chilakhal, Char Matukpur and Binbina areas of the Lakkhitari union.