Damaged Teesta dyke threatens 1,000 families

A portion of the Second Teesta Road Bridge embankment in Rangpur's Gangachara upazila has collapsed, threatening over 1,000 families in three nearby villages with the loss of homes and farmland to river erosion.

The 60-metre protection dyke in Mohipur village gave way after being struck by strong hill runoff currents, said Rabiul Islam, executive engineer of Rangpur's Water Development Board (WDB).

"We are preparing to drop sand-filled geo-bags to stop the erosion," he said. "Full-scale repairs will begin once the water level drops."

Ponir Uddin, a local farmer, said without urgent repairs, the entire bridge could collapse, causing permanent waterlogging in the village. If the bridge breaks down, road connectivity between Rangpur and Lalmonirhat will be severed.

Local resident Mansur Uddin alleged that the dyke had been damaged during the past two floods but was never repaired. "With monsoon water rising this year, concrete blocks are sinking one after another, forming deep holes that worsen the erosion," he said.

Nazarul Islam, a schoolteacher from Mohipur, stressed the need for a long-term protection plan. "If the embankment collapses completely, the damage will be irreparable," he warned.

FLOOD FORECAST AND SITUATION

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) reported that water levels in the Teesta, Dharla, and Dudhkumar rivers may drop over the next 48 hours but could rise again on the third day to warning levels and threaten low-lying areas in Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, and Kurigram.

The Padma River is expected to rise over the next two days, possibly reaching warning levels and flooding riverside areas in Rajbari, Faridpur, Pabna, Manikganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Munshiganj, and Dhaka. The Brahmaputra–Jamuna river system may also swell over the next three days, while the Atrai River in Naogaon could cross the danger level within 24 hours.

By 9:00am yesterday, the Teesta water level at the Teesta Barrage point in Lalmonirhat's Hatibandha had dropped to 20cm below the danger mark, while the Dudhkumar's level at Pateshwari in Kurigram's Nageshwari fell to 4cm below danger.

"With no rainfall today, water is receding quickly," said Shunil Kumar, executive engineer of Lalmonirhat's WDB. "Since the Brahmaputra is below danger level, the Teesta water is draining into it rapidly, improving the flood situation."

Despite falling river levels, many areas remain inundated. Sekendar Ali from Bagdora village in Lalmonirhat Sadar said roads are still under water. Shamsul Alam from Char Bamondanga in Nageshwari said his family remains displaced on roadsides until water fully recedes.

PADMA SWELLS IN FARIDPUR

Meanwhile, river levels in Faridpur have risen due to upstream inflows and continuous rain, worsening conditions for residents along the Padma, Madhumati, and Arial Khan rivers.

According to Faridpur WDB, the Padma rose by 0.9 metres in the past 24 hours till 7am Friday and is now flowing 8cm above the danger level. The Arial Khan is 109cm above danger, while the Madhumati has also risen, reports UNB.

Flooding has affected 13 unions across four upazilas, disrupting transport and daily life and triggering severe erosion. In Sadar upazila's Dikrirchar and North Channel unions, residents are relying on boats for movement.

Md Mostakuzzaman, former chairman of North Channel Union Parishad, said prolonged flooding could cause fodder shortages on the chars.

District WDB executive engineer Md. Rakib Hossain said erosion in several areas has forced authorities to place sand-filled geo-bags at critical points to prevent further damage.