The people of Tistapar are disorientated due to severe erosion due to reduced water. They want the early implementation of the Prime Minister’s Teesta Master Plan.
It is known that after flowing through India’s Sikkim and West Bengal, the historic Teesta River entered Bangladesh through Kaliganj border of Nilphamari district. It flows through Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur and Gaibandha districts and joins Brahmaputra river at Chilmari port in Kurigram district.
The length of the river is about 315 km, but about 125 km is in the Bangladesh part. Due to the unilateral control of the waters of the Teesta by the upstream neighboring country India by building a dam in Ghazaldoba, the Teesta turns into a desert in Bangladesh after the monsoon.
The people of Tistapar face floods and river erosion during monsoon. Crop land and all structures including settlements were swept away by erosion and strong currents.
The people on the riverbank became disoriented.
Hundreds of thousands of families on the banks of the river were trapped in the flood for two days last week. Crops of hundreds of hectares of land have been destroyed by water inundation. When the flood water recedes, the people of Teestapar are facing erosion. Homesteads, agricultural land and structures on the left bank of Teesta are constantly being destroyed. House items including furniture are floating in front of the eyes. At that time, tears fell on the river bank.
The displaced families have demolished their houses and put them on the side of the road or on the side of the embankment. The families who are victims of erosion are living inhumane life under the open sky without finding a new shelter. Officially listed to assist but no assistance provided so far. Meanwhile, the list of affected families is getting longer every moment.
Govardhan and Garibullatari villages downstream of Solidi Spar Dam 2 in Mahishkhocha Union of Aditmari Upazila are facing the most erosion. On Monday (August 28) at 3 o’clock in the night, severe erosion occurred in the stream adjacent to the spar dam. The villagers woke up and moved the three houses to another place. Hundreds of families including mosques were destroyed. If the erosion is not prevented quickly, the locals fear that the Solidi Spar Dam will also collapse.
Rabiul, Bhuttu and Yakub Ali’s family slept after eating dinner on Monday. Before dawn, the settlement disappeared. These three families could not find a place to hide their heads. Aditmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) GR Saroa and Upazila Project Implementation Officer Mofizul Islam visited the erosion area after receiving the news. Meanwhile, UNO assured to take emergency measures to help the victims and prevent erosion.
The demand of the people of Teestapar is to construct a permanent dam on both banks of the Teesta river, which has been filled since birth. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised to fulfill this long-standing demand and promised to implement the Teesta Master Plan. The prime minister wants the impoverished poor people of Teestapar to implement this promise quickly.
Rabiul Islam, Bhuttu and Yakub Ali, victims of erosion, said that they woke up in the middle of the night and opened their houses and left them on the road. Many things have passed before the eyes. I moved with my children. If erosion is not prevented, the spar dam will also fail. We want to implement the Teesta Master Plan.
Mohishkhocha UP member Matiar Rahman said, I called people in the middle of the night and evacuated 3 houses. Even after telling the people of the Water Development Board, I could not take emergency measures to prevent erosion. They claim that there is no allocation of urgent work. If urgent measures are not taken to prevent the erosion of the spar dam-2, the dam will also collapse in the Teesta. About 24/25 houses have been destroyed in the last seven days.
Sunil Kumar, Executive Engineer of Water Development Board Lalmonirhat said, due to decrease in water, erosion has occurred at five/seven points on the left bank. The severe erosion that has occurred downstream of Spar Dam-2 has been inspected and informed to the superiors. Action will be taken according to the instructions that will come from there. For now some small works are going on urgently at some points.
Aditmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) GR said after inspecting the erosion area of Sarovar, the victims are being listed. They will be assisted by the government. At the same time, the engineers of the Water Development Board have been informed to make emergency anti-erosion measures to protect the spar dam.
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