Heavy rainfall sends Teesta surging, prompts flood alerts in five districts

Upstream rain pushes Teesta close to its danger level, forcing all 44 barrage gates open and raising the risk of short-term flooding

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) says the Teesta River could cross the danger level within the next 24 to 48 hours, putting low-lying areas in Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Kurigram and Gaibandha at risk of short-term flooding.

At 6pm on Tuesday, the river was flowing 12cm below the danger mark at Dalia Point in Nilphamari, according to Amitabh Chowdhury, executive engineer of the BWDB's Dalia division.

The BWDB's Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said the Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers were still below danger levels, but all three were rising after upstream rainfall began around 9am.

All 44 gates of the Teesta Barrage on the Nilphamari-Lalmonirhat border have been opened to regulate the swelling river, while an orange alert remains in force, Amitabh said.

Nurul Islam, a water gauge reader, said the Teesta rose 18cm between 6am and 6pm, including a sharp 16cm jump in just three hours from 3pm.

India's Central Water Commission has also issued a yellow alert for the Teesta at Domohoni and Mekhliganj in West Bengal, citing rising flows fuelled by heavy rain and hill runoff.

The BWDB expects the Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar to continue rising over the next three days.

The Teesta is forecast to exceed the danger level within 24 to 48 hours, while the Dharla and Dudhkumar could reach warning levels in parts of Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, triggering temporary flooding in nearby low-lying areas.

The Teesta crossed the danger level twice earlier this monsoon -- by 1cm on Jun 23 and by 12cm on Jun 28 -- before receding each time.