Teesta riverbank erosion takes serious turn

The Teesta riverbank erosion has taken a devastating turn in different places under Gangachara upazila of Rangpur district in the last couple of weeks, causing sufferings for local residents.

The inhabitants of Ujanigaon, Sultanpur and Parbatipur in Joykolosh union are in great worry as the erosion hit Nainda khal.

Our Rangpur correspondent says the Teesta river is now half a kilometre away from the communication road of Rangpur and Kakina, Lalmonirhat, as a result the road is under the threat of erosion.

The worst-affected areas are Pashchim Ichli, Char Shankardaho, Char Challishal at Lakkhitari union, Talpatti, Alfaztari of Morneya union, Char Chilkhal, Char Mukutpur of Kolkond union in the upazila.

More than 90 houses and crops on hundreds of acres have already been engulfed by the river.

Moreover, the ongoing riverbank erosion by Teesta river is also causing serious threat to the approach road of the Teesta Bridge at Mahipur, Gangachara and the communication road of Rangpur-Kakina, Lalmonirhat in Gangachara upazila, local sources said.

Locals fear as the river has come close to the village protection dam at village Char Shankardaho of Lakkhitari union in Gangachara, the dam may be affected any time due to erosion.

Consequently, the approach road of Teesta Bridge at Mahipur of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur may seriously be affected.

While visiting some affected areas this FE correspondent found the victims of erosion passing days in acute misery.

Expressing disappointment, locals have alleged, "There is none to see or feel our plight."

Dulal Mia, a resident of village Char Shankardaho in the upazila, told The Financial Express that he lost his house and two acres of crop land due to the riverbank erosion recently.

Presently, he is passing days along with his family in severe hardship almost like a pauper.

Anwarul, a resident of Talpatti village said he as well as his some other relatives loses houses and croplands every year owing to the riverbank erosion.

They do not have the way to escape the ferocity of mighty river Teesta. During last a couple of weeks, they lost houses as well as around 8 of acres of croplands due to river erosion.

"We have become helpless as the river devoured our all the properties. Currently, It has become very difficult to maintain our families with no income," he lamented.

In this situation, local people have made a fervent appeal to the authority concerned to take necessary steps to prevent further erosion.

Gangachara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nahid Tamanna said, "I have the information about 85 houses destroyed due to riverbank erosion and the affected families are being given necessary assistances."

They have already informed the authority concerned to take necessary steps to prevent further erosion in the areas, she added.

Our correspondent from Sylhet says inhabitants of at least 5 villages in Shantiganj upazila of Sunamganj have been suffering much due to the sudden erosion along the canal for the last 2 weeks.

Besides, the household orchards and the vegetable field of tomato, brinjal, bean, gourd etc had also been grabbed in addition to the village road.

All it happened due to faulty digging of a canal two years ago by the Bangladesh Water Department Board (BWDB), many villagers allege.

The canal was dug through contractor in the last year, they said, adding erosion has hit this time.

Already the major portion on Sultanpur-Parbatipur road has been eroded while the vegetable fields were washed away.

Besides, eroding dwelling houses of many people has began. Road erosion is on other villages too while the Parbatipur village people can't move to even hospital or to markets in absence of the road and they are now dependent on boats only.

A WDB official said the digging of 6.8km Nainda khal was started in 2022 and completed in 2023 through a contractor at a cost of Tk 3.58 crore.

Some inhabitants of Parbatipur said they had lost their valuable lands where they used to cultivate vegetables of various kind, but it's no more as the erosion had grabbed that.

Unplanned digging had caused the disaster for them, they said. Part of the RCC road is unusable as the soil is washed away from under the structure. It will be no more any time, they apprehended.

"We used to suffer for inundation of the roads and even houses during a certain period due to flooding, before the digging. But the sufferings are enormous now, they added, blaming the contractor as well as the authorities for flawed digging of the canal. Damage of dwelling houses is taking place this time."

They can't move to the upazila, hospital or bazaar without boats.

Another inhabitant of the village said, "Villagers of 5 villages are in huge trouble. We had raised our protest even during the digging, said expatriate Akkas Ali, but they didn't heed to that."

Sunamganj WDB executive engineer Md Mamun Hawlader said erosion had been reported from various places as the rivers' water going down.

"We had already informed the higher authorities of the situation. Necessary steps would be taken on approval," he added.

[email protected]

[email protected]