Shawdesh desk:

The River Teesta’s water level has surged 41 cm above the danger mark in Kurigram district, while water level of River Brahmaputra, River Dudhkumar, and River Dharla is also on the rise.

The escalating water levels have instilled fears of potential flooding among the residents living along the river banks.

Kurigram Water Development Board has forecast short-term flooding.

According to the district’s Water Development Board, the River Brahmaputra’s water level is currently 72 cm below the danger mark at the Nunkhawa point, 58 cm below the limit at the Chilmari point, and River Dharla’s water level is 97 cm below the danger limit at the Kurigram Sadar point.

However, at Kaunia Point, River Teesta’s water is surging 41 cm above the danger level.

Low-lying areas including Begumganj, Nayarhat, and Saheber Alga in the Ulipur upazila of the district have already been inundated due to the increased water levels.

Irrespective of whether the water level of Teesta river rises or decreases, erosion stays persistent and the residents of the riverside areas run from rising waters all year round.

Md Noor Alam, a resident of the Goraipia area near River Teesta river, expressed his concerns about the rising water levels over the past few days, particularly for the paddy fields.

‘Whether the water of the River Teesta rises or recedes, river erosion persists, and the year-round struggles of the Teesta Par community go unnoticed,’ he lamented.

Surman Ali from village Khitab Khan echoed the same and expressed distress over the continuous rain and rising water levels.

‘The incessant rainfall coupled with the rising Teesta water has submerged our lives again, along with our cattles,’ he said.

Abdullah Al Mamun, executive engineer of the Water Development Board, attributed the rising river water to heavy rainfall in India’s Assam and Arunachal.

He said that the onrush of hill water and heavy rainfall in the region had caused the River Teesta’s water level to surpass the danger level. He also said that River Brahmaputra’s water might reach the danger mark in the coming days.

While the forecast predicts short-term floods in certain areas of the district, including some unions of Ulipur and Chilmari upazilas, Mamun said that despite the water crossing danger levels, a major flood event is not likely to occur.

Kurigram’s deputy commissioner Mohammad Saidul Arif said that comprehensive preparations have been undertaken to manage potential flood situations. All necessary arrangements, including food aid, rescue boats, and shelters, have been organised to ensure residents’ safety, he added.