Heavy rain in India’s Sikkim hills and plains, combined with upstream runoff, has caused the Teesta river to swell. At 6 am on Wednesday, the river was flowing at 52.27 metres at the Dalia point in Nilphamari, 7 centimetres above the danger mark of 52.20 metres. Just 12 hours earlier, at 6 pm on Tuesday, it was 2 centimetres below the danger mark, marking a 9-centimetre rise in water level overnight.
Confirming the situation, Dalia Water Development Board Executive Engineer Amitabh Chowdhury said all 44 sluice gates of the country’s largest Teesta Barrage have been opened to control the flow.
However, water levels have continued to rise, flooding various low-lying areas in the Teesta basin. Locals reported dense, muddy water rushing downstream.
The Dalia Flood Forecast and Warning Centre stated that continuous heavy rain upstream and hill runoff have triggered the surge, and the water is still rising.
The flood has already inundated riverside lowlands, chars, and island areas in Dimla and Jaldhaka upazilas of Nilphamari and in Hatibandha, Patgram, Kaliganj, and Aditmari upazilas of Lalmonirhat. Downstream of the barrage, the Teesta has altered its course, putting the Tuhin cross dam in Baishpukur mouza, Nilphamari, at risk of collapse. If breached, four unions could be flooded. Locals are working to protect the embankment with bamboo, timber, and sandbags.
Reports say floodwater has entered homesteads in the char areas, submerged rural roads, and inundated croplands.
Originating in India, the Teesta enters Bangladesh through the Kaliganj border of Nilphamari district, meaning floods upstream quickly impact Bangladeshi territory. Residents along the river said rain has been pouring across the basin all night and continued into the morning. Many char families have begun moving to higher ground, fearing a major flood.