The once mighty Teesta River has become empty of water and has turned into a skeletal form of sand. Hundreds of fishermen families depended on the river for their livelihood by catching fish in the river, but today they are unemployed. Due to the construction of dams on the upper reaches of the Teesta River in Ghazaldoba, India and not giving its fair share of water, the Teesta River has gradually become empty of water and has turned into a skeleton. Now the Teesta is just sand. Due to the non-implementation of the benefits of the bilateral water agreement with India, the people along the banks of the Teesta are suffering a lot. Due to the excess water released by India during the monsoon, the land and houses of the people on both sides of the river are destroyed. Due to the lack of water during the drought season, the people of the river banks cannot cultivate Boro and other crops.
The water flow of Teesta River is decreasing every year and this year it has reached its lowest level. As a result, farmers in various areas of Nilphamari who depend on the water of this river are in trouble.
Teesta Irrigation Project area has been seen that there is not much water in the canals as there is no water in the river. Boro fields on both sides of the canal have dried up. Bacha Bau (65), a farmer of Harishchandra Path village adjacent to the Teesta irrigation project canal in Jaldhaka Upazila, was irrigating the land by taking water from a dug well with a bucket. He said, there is no water in the canal. Due to lack of water, the Boro field is getting destroyed. Because of this, he is forced to dig a well and irrigate.
Some farmers near the main canal of Teesta irrigation project in Satjan village of Nautra Union in Dimla said that the farmers of the area have not been able to irrigate their land for almost two weeks. Because of this Boro field is getting destroyed.
Farmer Saidur Rahman said that the farmers of Balagram Union of Jaldhaka Upazila are not getting water. Farmers have already spent four to four and a half thousand Tk to cultivate Boro on one bigha of land. Manure has been applied—the stream of the Teesta is so narrow that it looks like a canal.
It is known from Water Development Board and local sources that 60 thousand 500 hectares of land in 12 upazilas of Nilphamari, Rangpur and Dinajpur districts are irrigated under the large Teesta irrigation project of Nilphamari. At least three and a half thousand cusecs of water is required for this. On the contrary, in the current month of March, Teesta river water is available at maximum 500 cusecs at Teesta barrage point located in Doani of Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat, which has made it impossible to maintain the river channel.
Already a minimum of 4000 thousandTk per bigha has been spent for irrigation. Which is 29940 per hectare and 60 thousand 500 hectares of land for irrigation is 182 crores.
The residents of the Teesta banks say, this Teesta River is not of any use to us. When India releases water every year during the monsoon, the people on both banks suffer from erosion and flooding.
Sub-Divisional Engineer of Dalia Division of Water Development Board Asfauddaula said, "Irrigation is being disrupted due to the non-navigability of the Teesta River. We are trying to deal with the situation by giving water to the farmers in turn.
At least 120,000 cusecs of water is needed to keep Teesta alive, including water from irrigation projects. However, in the last 10 days, the water flow of the main gate of the barrage is 25 thousand 300 cusecs. With which it will be difficult to operate the Teesta Barrage irrigation program.'
