The opening of all the gates of India's Gajoldoba barrage upstream has swollen the Teesta downstream and caused a sudden flood. Low-lying areas along the Teesta in Pirgachha upazila of Rangpur have been inundated and water has entered homes. With cropland under water, farmers fear heavy losses.

According to the Rangpur office of the Water Development Board, the Teesta was flowing 60 centimetres above the danger level at Dowani point on Wednesday morning. By about 12 noon it had risen another 10 centimetres to flow 70 centimetres above. Although it fell by 14 centimetres by about 10pm, the water was still 56 centimetres above the danger level. By about 9am on Thursday it had fallen further, to 40 centimetres below the danger level.

Meanwhile, as the upstream flow continued, the water at Kaunia point was flowing 5 centimetres above the danger level at 6pm on Wednesday, rising to 17 centimetres above by 10pm. At 9am on Thursday it rose further, breaking the previous record, to flow 28 centimetres above the danger level. The water is still rising at Kaunia point.

With the Teesta rising, farmers fear heavy damage to paddy, potatoes and rabi crops grown in the low-lying char areas. Early potatoes had been planted on several hundred hectares of char land, and growers fear heavy losses from the sudden flood. Many people's crops have already gone under water.

Motiar Rahman, a farmer of Shibdeb char, said the Teesta was rising with the upstream flow. The water had been rising since Wednesday afternoon, and farmers would suffer as cropland on the char went under.

Afsar Ali of Gabuga village said farmers in the area had rushed to plant early potatoes once the Teesta dried up. Many had already planted potatoes and others had prepared their land. "Now it is all ruined," he said.

Abdus Salam, a farmer of the same area, said the paddy harvest would have started in a few days. The flood at this time would cause heavy crop losses.

Pirgachha upazila agriculture officer Saiful Islam said there is paddy in the fields along with early winter vegetables, and the untimely flood will damage these crops. If the water recedes quickly, however, the damage may be somewhat less.

Pirgachha upazila nirbahi officer Shamsul Arefin said floodwater had entered low-lying areas along the Teesta. People living in those areas are being told to go to cyclone shelters, and the upazila administration has made preparations.

Ahsan Habib, executive engineer of the Rangpur Water Development Board, said the Teesta had risen suddenly and flooded low-lying areas, but the water is expected to recede quickly.

Source: Kaler Kantho. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.