Teesta water level has increased due to heavy rains coming up from India. The chars that arose in the Teesta have been submerged in this untimely water. Especially in the vast pastures of Gangachara and Kaunia upazilas of Rangpur, the fields of various crops including pepper, onion-garlic, almond, sweet pumpkin were submerged. Farmers in the char areas have suffered huge losses as these emerging crops have been submerged in water.
Going to the ground, it can be seen that due to untimely heavy rain, water has risen in the Teesta char area. Farmers are facing losses due to drowning of crops grown in the Teesta.
They say that every year after the water recedes in winter, they cultivate various winter crops on the Teesta Char.
Now it is time to take these crops home. But this time in the late spring, due to sudden increase in Teesta water, the growing crop has been damaged.
The people who have built chars have no land of their own. They make a living by farming in the heart of the char.
Moktar Hossain, a garlic farmer from Dhusmara Char in Kaunia, said, "I have never seen water rise in Teesta in this season My six bighas of garlic fields have been submerged due to rising water.”
Ramzan Ali, a farmer of Ischli Char in Gangachara, said that due to the sudden rise of water in the Teesta, the char area has been submerged. Upstream water in the Teesta has been rising since Thursday morning. As a result, the fields of various crops including onion-garlic, sweet pumpkin and almonds planted in the char were submerged.
He also said that there is a danger of damage especially to the rising onion-garlic fields due to submergence.
Asfauddaula, executive engineer of the Dalia Water Development Board, said 15 gates of the Teesta Barrage were opened last Sunday due to rising water levels.
As a result, the chars in the downstream area are submerged. However, the water is below the danger level. Noting that the water has started receding, he said that the sudden increase in water has damaged some crops cultivated in the Teesta. Obaidur Rahman Mandal, deputy director of the Rangpur Department of Agricultural Extension, said the crops planted on the chars have been submerged due to rising water levels in the Teesta. There are fears of damage to several crops. However, the extent of the damage has not yet been determined.
