July 22, 2008	Tuesday	Rajab 18, 1429

DHAKA: Bangladesh is likely to escape major flooding this year despite higher than average rainfall since the beginning of the current monsoon season, weather experts said on Monday.

The head of the nation’s meteorological department said scientists did not foresee heavy rainfalls posing a problem in the coming months.

“So far on the basis of meteorological data, we can say that there is very little possibility for a major flooding this summer,” Arjumand Habib said.

The flood-prone South Asian nation of 144 million people was hit by major flooding last year, which left 13 million people marooned and more than 1,000 people dead.

Summer floods are common in the delta nation as monsoon rains sweep the Indian subcontinent from June to September which, combined with Himalayan snow melting, feeds major rivers that run to the Bay of Bengal.

Last year’s floods submerged more than 40 per cent of the country’s landmass, damaging rice crops across a widespread area, which later contributed to a food crisis.

Habib said this year’s heavier rainfall would result in better crops, helping farmers and easing the risk of a food crisis.

The government has targeted a record harvest of more than 13 million tonnes of rice during the rainy season, up at least 30 per cent on last year.

The government’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre was also optimistic that flooding would not pose a problem this year.

“We have 50 years of monsoon rains data. So far the monsoon is behaving most satisfactorily,” said Saiful Hossain, the centre’s chief analyst.—AFP