Victims blame construction of groynes in India, WDB 'unaware'

Erosion by the Teesta continues to devour a char in Tepa Kharibari Union under Dimla upazila of Nilphamari district, right, people of Char Bhasani that has already gone into the river have taken shelter on a dam.Photo: STAR

Erosion by Teesta River has taken a serious turn in Dimla upazila, rendering over 400 families homeless and washing away large areas of cultivable lands, trees, and structures during the last ten days.
Locals said the situation has arisen as Indian authorities are constructing groynes in the river on the other side of the border, causing the Teesta water to seriously hit the downstream char (newly emerged landmass) areas in Bangladesh territory.
Executive Engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board at Dalia Division Zahurul Islam, however, said he is unaware about construction of groynes by India.
"Char Bhasani in Teesta basin under ward number three of my union went into the riverbed last week. One fourth of Purbo Kharibari of ward number six has also been washed away," said Rabiul Islam Shahin, chairman of Tepa Kharibari union of Dimla upazila.
About 300 families from Bhasanir Char and Purbo Kharibari have shifted to safer places while 400 acres of land with jute, aman paddy and peanut along with a NGO run primary school and a mosque of Bhasanir Char and 150 acres of croplands at Purbo Kharibari have been washed away, he said.
"A part of three kilometre long Swapan dam connecting Teesta right embankment with Purbo Kharibari has been damaged. I asked Bangladesh Water Development Board authority at Dalia for repairing the dam but they are yet to respond," the UP chairman said.
Facing erosion, about 100 families of Kisamater Char under Khaga Kharibari union have shifted to safer places, chairman of Khaga Kharibari union Belayet Hossain said, adding that groynes in Indian territory are causing disaster to the char areas in the Teesta basin on Bangladesh lands.
India has constructed a groyne on the other side of the border at Santalpara village in its territory only five hundred metres north-west from Bangladesh Rifles outpost at Char Kharibari in Dimla upazila, said Shahidul Islam, an erosion victim from Bhasanir Char.
Now big sized boulders are thrown around the groyne, causing upstream water to turn to Bangladesh lands on the Teesta basin, he said.
When contacted, the executive engineer of BWDB at Dalia Division Zahurul Islam said, "I am unaware about construction of groynes by India. I have sent message to the higher authorities to start repair work of the damaged part of Swapan dam very soon."
Dimla Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mizanur Rahman said they are distributing money and rice to the erosion victims.