44 floodgates opened as Teesta nears danger mark, raising fresh flood fears

The river is flowing 10cm below the danger level at Dalia point

The water level of the Teesta River has started to surge again in Nilphamari, submerging croplands in nearby low-lying areas.

The river was flowing 10cm below the danger level at the Dalia point around 9pm on Monday, said Amitabh Chowdhury, executive engineer of the Dalia Division of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).

He said 44 floodgates of the Teesta Barrage have been opened to control the situation.

On Saturday, the river water was flowing 5cm below the danger level.

Nurul Islam, an official of the BWDB’s Flood Warning and Forecasting Centre, said the Teesta water level was 51.97cm at 6pm on Sunday, about 18cm below the danger level.

At 9am on Monday, the water level was 51.78cm, which dropped to 51.76cm around 12pm and remained the same until 3pm.

Nurul said the water level increased by 29cm in six hours.

Meanwhile, an orange signal has been issued at the Dalia point due to fears of a worsening situation.

BWDB Executive Engineer Amitabh said the Teesta water level may rise further if rainfall continues upstream.

He added that local residents in the riverbank areas have been alerted, in addition to the orange signal at the Dalia point.

The continuous rise in water levels worried residents of the char and low-lying areas mainly in Dimla Upazila, with many preparing to avoid potential losses.