Teesta flows above danger level, red alert issued

Bangladesh Water Development Board has opened all the 44 sluice gates of Teesta Barrage on Wednesday to let go the high water flows caused by heavy monsoon rainfall in Northeast India in the last 48 hours.

The major river of northern Bangladesh, the Teesta is flowing 60 cm above the danger level, BWDB said.
According to Board officials, the Teesta river was flowing 52.70 cm above the danger level at Dalia point on Tuesday night while it was flowing 60 cm above the danger level around 10 am on Wednesday. This is due to the onrush of hill water and heavy rainfall.

India Meteorological Department Wednesday projected a heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and other regions

The low-lying areas of Dahgram in Patgram upazila, Gaddimari, Singamari, Sinduna, Patikapara, Dauabari in Hatibandha upazila and Bhotmari, Soilmari, Nohli, Char Boirati in Kaliganj upazilas of the district have been flooded, affecting some 10,000 families.
Mafizar Rahman, UP member of Char Sinduna union in Hatibandha Upazila, said "We did not experienced any flash floods during the dry season and the river water had dried up in the past two months, but suddenly, the water level has risen, triggering flash floods."
Maidul Islam of Patgram's Dahgram area, said, "The river water has started to rise since Tuesday night, inundating the paddy fields, roads and dwelling houses, forcing many people to take shelter in high places."
Asfaudoula, executive engineer of the Water Development Board at Dalia point, said, "The Teesta water is flowing 60 cm above its danger mark and the authorities concerned have opened all the 44 gates of the barrage."
Besides, the residents along the river have been asked to take shelter in safer places.
The Water Development Board (WDB) has issued a red alert in the Teesta Basin after the river swelled above danger level due to onrush of upstream water.
The local people have been pancked extremely as both banks of Teesta busted. In addition, flood fuses on the north side of the Teesta Barrage are reported to be under threat of getting damaged.
Due to the rise in Teesta, 15 villages of Purba Chhatnai, Tapa Kharibari, Khagakharibari, Khalisha Chapani, Jhunagach Chapani and Gayabari Union of Dimla upazila of Nilphamari and six villages of sandbar of Jaldhaka upazila have been flooded.
The residents of those areas have evacuated to safer places, said the people's representatives of those unions. Hundreds of hectares of crop land have been inundated.
Abdul Latif Khan, Purbachhatnai UP chairman of Dimla upazila in Nilphamari, said the right bank of the Teesta at Zero Point in the area and the Groen dam is under threat of getting damaged. Water is flowing especially over the Groen dam. If the Groen collapses, hundreds of houses in the area, including the dam on the right bank of the Teesta, will be washed away by the Teesta River.
Tepakharibari UP chairman Moinul Haque said the Teesta Bazar, Telirbazar, Dolapara and Charkharibari areas have already been submerged. All crop lands in the sandbars are under water.
In Lalmonirhat, the Barakhata to Hatibandha bypass road has collapsed at various places due to sudden rise in water level of Teesta river. As a result, thousands of families in this union have been flooded. Thousands of acres of crop land on the banks of Teesta in five upazilas of Lalmonirhat district have been submerged in water.