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The water level of the Teesta River has risen above the danger mark following continuous heavy rainfall in India’s northeastern region and a fresh influx of upstream hill waters, triggering flooding in vast low-lying and char areas of Hatibandha upazila in Lalmonirhat.
The sudden rise in water has begun inundating riverbank communities and agricultural land, raising fears of extensive damage to crops and seedbeds spread across hundreds of acres in the char areas.
Nurul Islam, a gauge reader at the Teesta Barrage’s Dalia Point, said the river started rising steadily from Saturday morning.
At 9:00pm, the water level was recorded at 52.18 metres, 3 centimetres above the danger level. Just three hours earlier, at 6:00pm, the river had been flowing only 1 centimetre below the danger mark before rising rapidly.
To cope with the heavy upstream flow and ensure the safety of the barrage, authorities fully opened all 44 sluice gates of the Teesta Barrage, the country’s largest irrigation project.
Confirming the situation, Amitabh Chowdhury, executive engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) at Dalia, said all sluice gates have been kept open and the barrage is under constant monitoring due to the increased upstream flow from India.
He said the administration has advised residents living along the riverbanks to remain in safe locations and stay on maximum alert to deal with any emergency.
According to local public representatives and residents of the char areas, floodwaters have already inundated low-lying parts of Gaddimari, Dawani, Saniyajan, Singimari, Sindurna and Dawabari unions in Hatibandha upazila.
Water has submerged peanut fields, rice seedbeds, sweet pumpkin plantations and other seasonal crops, threatening the livelihoods of local farmers.
If the river continues to rise, several thousand residents in the char areas could become stranded by floodwaters.
