Kamaruzzaman, Nilphamari

The Pramatta Teesta and Buri Teesta rivers flowing over Jaldhaka Upazila of Nilphamari are unrecognizable during monsoons and winters.

Teesta and Buri Teesta rivers, which swelled due to water flow, have now dried up and turned into a desert due to lack of water.

Due to India's unilateral water control, Bangladesh part of Teesta river is almost dead now. As a result the biodiversity in the Teesta basin is under threat. There are no fishermen and sailors running on the Teesta, and the work is as busy as before. Lack of water has stopped the driving force of their families.

Due to dredging, and re-dredging, the river has lost its navigability and become ineffective, including the largest Teesta irrigation project barrage in the country. As a result, the name of this river is disappearing from the map. Meanwhile, due to lack of water, the bottomless Teesta has now turned into unstable Hara Dhudhu Balu, and various crops are being cultivated there. 300 cusecs of water is available instead of 3500 cusecs for dry season irrigation. As a result, the silence of the Bangladesh Water Development Board has put the local farmers in trouble.

According to local residents and sources, the Teesta river coming down from the Himalayas 65- km upstream of Teesta Barrage flows through Dimla Upazila of Nilphamari, over Jaldhaka Upazila and merges in Nohali area of Gangachara Upazila of neighboring Rangpur district.

In 1947-48, the then Goverment took up an irrigation canal project to produce more crops, the project is named Either Buri Teesta Barrage Irrigation Canal Project. The main goal and objective of the project was to stop the water of the river upstream of this barrage and provide irrigation facilities in the dry season. The main goal and purpose of the project was to build 14 gates on the Buri Teesta River in Kaliganj area of Jaldhakar in 1962 and later 59 gates on the Teesta River in the country under largest Teesta and Buri Teesta Barrage Project.

Later, when irrigation canals and drains were dug in different areas of Golna, Dharmapal, Mirganj, Balagram, Shaulmari, Kaimari Union of the upazila and brought under the

irrigation facilities, the farmers of the area were able to produce a large amount of crops. But since the year 1998-99, the canals and canals dug for irrigation along with barrages have become ineffective due to lack of water, various crops are being cultivated there.

On the surface, it can be seen in Teesta river and irrigation canal project area, as Teesta water has come down to zero level, all the gates of Teesta barrage are being closed and water is being given to some number of Teesta irrigation canals in the upazila.

As a result, the Teesta river has been flooded for miles. But at one time this river consumed a lot of cultivated land and fish could be found. Farmers are now working hard to grow various crops including corn, tobacco, potato, kumra, mustard, onion in Teesta pastures. As a result, the char area is now full of greenery.

Atiqul, a farmer of Golmunda Barabadh area of Jaldhaka Upazila told The Country Today that the river has become dry and sandy due to the accumulation of sand in the river and the lack of water in the reservoir. The river has become ineffective due to the silence of the government and the failure of the water development board. There is a movement to save the river and the environment. But the residents of the barrage area expressed their anger because no one thought about the matter here.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Sumon Ahmed said, if Teesta is dug, any crop can be irrigated on the fallow land. This will increase our food production.