Water Flows in Teesta above Danger Level

Water levels of the Teesta River alarmingly breached the danger mark at the Dalia point of the Nilphamari district this morning at the Teesta dam, flooding large fields of crops and dwellings in lowland areas and 15 shoals of Dimla and Jaldhaka Upazila.

The outlook of the river changed due to a strong shower in the last 24 hours in the Teesta basin on both sides of the border, which triggered a large upstream surge of water.

Assistant Engineer Aminur Rashid of the Hydrology Department of the Water Development Board (WDB) in Rangpur said that the water flowed 20 centimeters above the danger mark at Dalia point near the Teesta dam.

The river reached the danger point for the first time on June 20 and overwhelmed large regions and receded after a few days, but the residents are again dealing with the same condition when it swelled again after six days.

Moynul Islam, the union Parishad member of the Tepa Kharibari group in Dimla, said that three thousand citizens in his group were the worst affected.

People have been flooded with deep water while there is a shortage of food with no means of cooking.

Shahidul Islam (50), living in Tapur Char, said that they were living in fear of a further swelling of the river as the onrush of upstream water increased.

WDB authorities said they kept open all the gates of Teesta barrage to tackle the situation.