Flash flood has left at least 20 thousand people marooned in the district.

Heavy rain in the last three days and water rushing from the hills across the border

caused the flash flood, Lalmonirhat Water Development Board (WDB) sources said.

The flood hit theTeesta and Dharla river basins and low-lying 20 villages in four upazilas.

The most affected areas

are: Goddimari, Dowani, Sindurna, Dawabari, Paruliya under Hatibandha upazila, Votmari, Char Kakina, Rudreshewar and Jamirbari villages of Kaliganj upazila, Kadomtola, Balapara, Gobordhan villages of Aditmari upazila, Kurul,

Mogholhat, Kulaghat, Boalmari, Rajpur, Kalmati, Khuniya Gachh, Gokunda, Milon Bazar villages of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

While visiting the flood-affected Paruliya, this correspondent found the whole village under knee-deep water. Many of the villagers took shelter on highlands including roads and WDB dam.

Jamil Uddin, 48, of Paruliya village said, "We are experiencing heavy rain for the last three days. Water from Teesta river started to enter our houses from early yesterday due to onrush of water from the upstream."

Another villager Mobarok Ali said, "Flood has submerged all 100 home steads in this village. We are victims of early flood."

Teesta and Dharla marked further rise yesterday although both the rivers were still flowing under the danger level.

Executive Engineer of Lalmonirhat Water Development Board Abdul Matin Sarker said, if the trend continues, water of both the rivers would cross the danger mark by24 hours.

He, however, hoped that water from the flood-affected villages would start receding from tonight.