Staff Correspondent:

Water of the Teesta river has been flowing one cm above the danger level since this morning, raising fears of flooding among the thousands of residents in low-lying areas of five northern districts.

Some houses and croplands in low-lying areas in Hatibandha, Kaliganj, Aditmari, and Sadar upazilas of Lalmonirhat; Sundarganj in Gaibandha; Gangachara and Kaunia in Rangpur; Rajarhat, Ulipur, and Chilmari in Kurigram; and Domar and Jaldhaka in Nilphamari have already been submerged.

According to the Water Development Board (WDB), water at the Teesta Barrage point in Lalmonirhat’s Hatibandha upazila rose above the danger mark of 52.15m at 9:00am today. Over 24 hours, heavy rainfall and onrush of water from upstream hills caused a rapid rise in the river’s water level, the WDB said.

Fazlur Rahman, a farmer from Gobordhan village in Aditmari upazila, said, “In August 2023, the devastating Teesta flood caused huge losses for us. We now fear a repeat of that.”

Amitav Chowdhury, executive engineer of the WDB in Dalia, said, “Although Teesta is flowing above the danger level, the situation is under control. A huge volume of water is still coming from the upstream. We are monitoring closely, and all gates of Teesta Barrage will be opened if necessary.”

Shunil Kumar, executive engineer of Lalmonirhat’s WDB, said forecasts indicate the water level may rise further over the next 24 hours. “If heavy rainfall continues, fresh flood may occur,” he warned.

Meanwhile in Rajshahi, water of the Padma river is now flowing 0.61m below the danger mark, the WDB office said.

The city’s T-Badh tourist spot has been closed to visitors since yesterday for safety reasons.

Abdul Alim, a resident of Char Asharia Daha village, said, “Some low-lying houses and croplands have already gone under. If the water rises further, there may be more damage.”