Bangladesh
Teesta Water | Floods Tista river turns violent
Dhaka, April 8: Dreams of thousands of farmers have been shattered after the gates of Ghazaldoba Barrage in India were opened and heavy rains inundated their crops. Every year during the months of March and April, the river Teesta becomes dry. In the scorching sun, the people near the bank walk along the sandy Teesta. This is the first time in almost 35 years that the picture has changed.
Due to untimely opening of the gate of Ghazaldoba Barrage in India and heavy rains upstream, the water level of Teesta is rising. Thousands of bighas of chilli-onion, garlic, maize, wheat and sweet pumpkin fields have been submerged in it. Millions of farmers in Tistapar are worried about this.
Farmers in the char region are shocked by the Teesta floods in April. At that time, the cultivation that took place in the heart of the Teesta lasted for 12 months. Due to this untimely flood, the farmers of Teesta Char have become destitute. Thousands of farmers are worried about how to spend the rest of their days with their families. On the other hand, with the rise of water, erosion has occurred in Teestapara.
At 3 pm on Thursday, the water level at Teesta Barrage Point in Hatibandha Upazila of Lalmonirhat was 51.30 cm, which is flowing 110 cm below the danger level.
According to Teesta Barrage authorities, 11 gates of the barrage have been opened. In the last week of March, there was only three thousand cusecs of water at Teesta Barrage Point. Within a week, it rose to 20,000 cusecs on Thursday.
Mizanur Rahman, executive engineer of Lalmonirhat Water Development Board, said, "Teesta water has decreased a bit compared to yesterday (Wednesday). With the rising water level in Teesta in the last seven days, erosion has occurred in different areas of five upazilas of the district. Immediate action will be taken to prevent erosion.
Anwar Hossain, a jute farmer from Mahishkhocha area of Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat, said, "I cultivate jute in the river Teesta which dries up every year. I'm doing it again. But all of a sudden the river overflowed and drowned."
Ainul Haque, a farmer from Doani village in Gaddimari union of Hatibandha upazila, said, "Many farmers' boro paddy, onion and wheat fields in the area have been submerged due to water intrusion from India for seven days. My two bigha onion fields have been destroyed in Char."
