Reports received from shore areas yesterday said the sea level was 3-4 feet higher than normal due to influence of the full moon.

The flood level in the district will continue to rise at least for three days and then start receding after the full moon, likely on August one, Meteorological Department officials here said.

Moderate to heavy rain at places since Tuesday aggravated the situation, they said.

Four persons drowned in boat capsize in the last two days while moving to safety, as the flood affected over 6.5 lakh people and marooned at least two lakh in about 716 square kilometer areas, officials said.

Those drowned are Mamun, 5, of Betal village in Banaripara; Moslem Bhuiyan, 70, of Batamara and Rakib, 4, of Gachhua Krishnapur in Muladi; and Tennat, 4, of Ghoser Hut in Gournadi upazila, sources at the district control room said. With this the flood death toll rose to 12 in the district.

The affected people have taken shelter on embankments, high lands and educational institutions.

The district administration has opened --- flood shelters in the district.

According to a preliminary estimate made by the district administration, the flood damage is worth at least Tk 32 crore in different sectors.

These include Tk 21.86 crore crop damage on 20,840 hectares of land, Tk 51. 41 lakh fishes in 3,661 farms and Tk 1.5 crore shrimps in over 150 farms.

About 680 kilometre roads are now under water that have damaged at least 30 kilometre dams and embankments, 147 educational institutions and 287 religious institutions, they said.

The officials said so far they got 450 metric tonnes rice and Tk 4.25 lakh as flood relief from government. Out of this, 390 tonnes of rice and Tk 3. 67 lakh have been distributed, they said.

Meanwhile it was reported that the Union Parishad chairmen of badly affected Khanzapur and Barthi unions in Gournadi upazila refused to accept five and three tonnes of rice for their respective unions, saying the supplies were too inadequate to the needs.

They alleged that the local administration, influenced by the Gournadi municipal chairman and local BNP leaders allocated more relief to less affected municipal areas.

Barisal City Corporation ma-yor Majibur Rahman Sarwar MP, who is also the minister-in-char-ge of the district, visited Gour-nadi and Agailjhara upazilas on Wednesday and distributed relief among the affected people. He also held a meeting with local body leaders.

Hundreds of people who have taken shelter on cross-dams and embankments in Gournadi, Agailjhara and Uzirpur upazilas are now guarding those.

They have taken the measure after 22 villages in Ratnapur, Bagdha, Satla, Harta and Jalla unions in Agailjhara and Uzirpur upazilas were inundated when the WAPDA dam was cut at Taler Bazar and Rahutkati points allegedly by outsiders to release flood water from their areas, sources said.