Official death toll from the battering floods rose to 285 with 58 new deaths reported overnight from the flooded districts, including central region and capital Dhaka where the situation is poised to aggravate further in next few days.( The New Nation )

Officials at the Food, Disaster Management and Relief Ministry told The New Nation that 285 flood-related deaths were recorded till yesterday compared to Saturday's toll of 227.

Meanwhile, road and rail communications at different points have been disrupted in many areas due to flood, Communications Ministry sources said, adding road and train routes to and from Dhaka may snap at any time as flood waters are overflowing at different points of rail tracks and highways.

A total of 2,883 medical teams, out of total 3,558, are now working to contain the water-borne diseases in the affected areas, Health Directorate Control Room said.


According to them, a total of 2,069 people were attacked with Diarrhoea in last 24 hours, raising the number of patients to 75,000 till yesterday. Of them, 41 patients died of diarrhoea so far.

In the capital city alone some 100 patients were attacked with the deadly disease during the last 24 hours, officials of the Directorate said.

We have sufficient stock of medicine to meet the need , said Dr Prof, Mizanur Rahman , Director General of Health.

Experts said that the country痴 central region had been facing severe flooding affecting more than three crore people due to rise of rivers in Brahmaputra basin at downstream although they continued to fall at upper regions over the past few days.

When contacted Director General of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWAPDA) Mokhlesuzzaman hoped that the flood situation would improve in next couple of days as Brahmaputra basin continued to fall at upstream.

Referring to economic losses caused by the current flood , the DG said the deluge had damaged 570 kilometres of embankment of WAPDA in the affected areas till yesterday. Apart from it, the current flood caused damage to 82 kilometres of Town and Flood Protection Embankments built earlier at different points of the affected areas, he said.

The rehabilitation of the damaged embankments would cost Taka 95 crore and WAPDA now needs Taka 49 crore for emergency repair of the damaged embankments, the official said.

典he magnitude of economic losses would be colossal but we are yet to assess losses as it is too early, said the Secretary of the Food , Disaster Management and Relief Ministry.

The Secretary said that adequate relief materials were being distributed among the flood victims through local Administration with the assistance of the army troops if necessary

Ministry sources said that a total of 30,000 metric tones of rice worth about Taka 44.57 crore and about Taka three crore had been allocated so far for the flood victims,

According to the bulletin of the Ministry, the current devastating floods have so far damaged about 34,000 kilometres of roads, 2.988 bridges and culverts, standing crops on 21 lakh acres of land and 14,000 educational institutions in 36 districts.

In Habiganj alone ,the flood has damaged huge standing crops and properties amounting to Taka 110 core so far, said the local Administration..

A total of 2,883 medical teams, out of total 3,558, are now working to arrest water-borne diseases in the affected areas, Health Directorate Control Room said.

According to the Health Directorate, a total of 2,069 people were attacked with Diarrhoea in last 24 hours raising number of patients to 75,000 till now. A total of 41 patients died of Diarrhoea till yesterday .

In the capital city alone some one hundred patients were attacked with the deadly disease during last 24 hours, officials of the Directorate said.

We have sufficient stock of medicine to meet the need, said Dr Prof, Mizanur Rahman , Director General of Health .

Meanwhile ,flood situation in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Brahmanbaria, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi , Chandpur , Shariatpur , Madaripur and Kishorganj aggravated further inundating fresh areas and marooning more people yesterday. This was due to continuous rise of water level of Meghna, Buriganga, Sitalakhya, Balu, Doleshwari. Turag , Padma at Bhairab Bazar, Jamuna at Aricha, Kaliganga, Bangshi, Tongi Khal and Kailganga rivers, said the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre in Dhaka yesterday.

According to the forecast of the centre, during last 24 hours, Buriganga rose by 11 cm and Sitalakhya at Narayanganj increased by 6 cm. During the period, Turag recorded rise by 15 cm while Tongi Khal rose by 6 cm and Balu by 8 cm.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre in its yesterday痴 bulletin also pointed out that Old Brahmaputra at Mymensingh increased by 5 cm while Doleshwari at Rekabi Bazar recorded rise by 6 cm . The Kaliganga rose by 4 cm and Teesta registered rise by 4 cm

The Padma at Bagyakul remained steady yesterday.

Jamuna at Sirajganj point fell by11 cm showing some signs of improvement in the situation in the area.

The flood situation in Bogra, Lalmonirhat, Pabna, Sherpur and Netrokona improved slightly due to further fall of the rivers. Flood waters started receding in Rajbari and Faridpur as Padma at Goalanda fell by 3cm in last 24 hours.

In greater Sylhet, Surma at kanai Ghat point registered further fall by 8 cm and at Sylhet point by 8 cm ,The river at Sunamganj point fell by 8 cm.

Kushiara registered further fall by 14 cm at Amalsit point.

However, overall flood situation Sylhet remained unchanged despite recession of water level of the rivers at certain points .

Our Habiganj Correspondent said, the district town is still under knee-deep water .

The Food , Disaster Management and Relief Ministry yesterday allocated 1,050

metric tonnes of rice and Taka 10.50 lakh in cash for the flood victims in 10 districts.

It was in addition to 28,000 metric tonnes of rice worth about Taka 43.20 crore and over Taka 2.76 crore in cash earlier allocated by the relevant Ministry.