Dramatic rise in Teesta water

The water flow of the Teesta has increased at Teesta barrage point in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat. The photo was taken around 5:00pm yesterday. Photo: Star

The water flow in the Teesta river at the barrage point in Hatibandha of Lalmonirhat has increased to 3,006 cusecs in 24 hours till 5:00pm yesterday, according to the Dhaka office of Indo-Bangla Joint Rivers Commission (JRC).
The flow was only 830 cusecs at 5:00pm on Monday, said the JRC office.
It went up to 3,050 cusecs at 6:50pm yesterday, reports our Lalmonirhat correspondent after talking with an engineer of the Teesta Barrage Authorities.
Water is also increasing in different canals of the Teesta barrage irrigation project. But the flow is yet to reach the downstream of the barrage.  
Around 4,500-cusec water is needed to make the irrigation project fully operational.
“When there is no rain, sudden rise in Teesta water flow means Indian authorities have opened the sluice gates of their Gazoldoba barrage," said Mir Sazzad Hossain, a member of Bangladesh JRC.
On Saturday and Sunday, the water flow was 688 and 789 and cusecs respectively, he added.
Only 416 to 650 cusecs of water flow in the trans-boundary river in February and March and absence of rain have caused problems for Boro farmers in northern districts.   
Against this backdrop, Teesta Bachao Andolon, a citizens platform, and several left political parties have been staging programmes, including rally, procession, long march and human chain, for the last two months, demanding due share of Teesta water.
The opposition BNP also launched a two-day long march towards the Teesta barrage yesterday morning.
Asked whether the government made any special effort to get a fare share of Teesta water, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said the issue is under negotiation between Dhaka and New Delhi.
"On Monday, India released the water which reached the Teesta barrage point today [yesterday]," he said and hoped Bangladesh would continuously get water from the Indian side.
Bangladesh and India were set to ink a deal on the Teesta water share during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Dhaka visit in September 2011. But the signing had to be cancelled following last-minute objections raised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.