Teesta basin: Uncertainty mounts as comprehensive plan faces delays
Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :
People living along the Teesta basin had hoped the interim government would begin a project work widely seen as vital to safeguarding the backbone of agriculture, livelihoods, and local economies for nearly 21 million people in the northern region.
Instead, frustration is growing among local people as no physical work has begun, with progress so far limited to official visits and inspections.
Against this backdrop of a long-running crisis, the government says it has renewed efforts to stabilise the river, with China signalling stronger technical and financial cooperation on the long-delayed Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project.
That renewed emphasis was visible on Monday, when Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen jointly visited some of the most erosion-prone stretches of the Teesta near the Kaunia Bridge in Rangpur.
Accompanied by senior officials from the Bangladesh Water Development Board and the local administration, they inspected both banks of the river from a boat and held discussions with residents affected by erosion and flooding.
During the visit, residents made it clear that they were not asking for handouts, but for permanent embankments and effective river management.
After the inspection, Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan told reporters that China is providing both technical and financial support for a broad-based river management and development initiative.
She said detailed feasibility and financial studies were currently underway to ensure that any investment is environmentally sustainable and economically sound.
“China is fully committed to the implementation of the Teesta project,” she said, adding that the government views comprehensive river management as central to its climate adaptation and disaster resilience strategy.
“Since the verification process of the project is not completed, it is not possible to start its work right now.
Therefore, it is not that the work will start by January 26 in a hurry; we are giving some time so that the work is done better. But there is no need to spread disappointment about this,” she added.
About Teesta water sharing, she said that achieving a fair share of Teesta river water is an ongoing process. Besides, it is a big political issue.
“So we think that the elected government will come and work to achieve a fair share of water. We have made preparations in the case of the Ganges and the Teesta so that they do not have to wait for the elected government to come,” she said.
Ambassador Yao Wen echoed that message, framing China’s involvement as part of a wider partnership with Bangladesh.
“China always wants to stand by Bangladesh in its development and disaster management efforts,” he said.
“We are taking the problems of the people of the Teesta region very seriously. We hope the Teesta Mega Project will be implemented soon,” he said.
He also reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to completing technical evaluations swiftly and reiterated China’s support for Bangladesh’s democratic transition process.
The visit came amid mounting frustration in northern districts where the Teesta’s instability has shaped daily life for decades.
From October to April, the river often shrinks into a narrow channel, leaving vast sandy stretches where crops once grew.
Irrigation systems fail, cropping cycles collapse, and seasonal migration becomes a necessity for many families.
When the monsoon arrives, the pattern reverses but the suffering continues, as sudden surges and riverbank erosion wash away homes and farmland with little warning.
Shafiar Rahman, General Secretary of the Teesta Bachao Nodi Bachao Andolon, told The New Nation that the master plan has already been delayed far too long.
“It has been a long-cherished demand of the people in this region,” he said.
Expressing disappointment on the high-ups visit, he added that the recent visit suggested the project might not begin under the current administration.
“From the visit of Adviser Rizwana and Ambassador Yao Wen, it is clear that the project is not going to begin now. It is going into the hands of the next government,” he said.
“Previous government did not begin the project. We hoped that the interim government would begin the project.
But now it is not going to take place. We are distressed people. We live here through continued struggle,” he said.
“If the next government does not implement the project, we would wage tougher protests,” he warned.
At the policy level, Dhaka appears determined to keep the project alive.
Chinese engagement has regained momentum following high-level discussions, including Ambassador Yao Wen’s recent reaffirmation of support during talks with National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman.
Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen said they want to complete technical assessments as quickly as possible, building on renewed political momentum generated by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’s visit to China in March 2025.
The proposed Teesta Mega Project, based on studies prepared by the Power Construction Corporation of China, envisages deep dredging along more than 100 kilometres of the river, strengthened embankments to control erosion and flooding, land reclamation for agriculture and planned settlements, and water storage structures to preserve monsoon flows for use during the dry season.
The interim government has formally sought a Chinese loan of about 550 million dollars for the first phase of the project, within an overall plan estimated at around 750 million dollars.
The toppled Awami League government consistently pledged to implement the Teesta mega project, viewing it as crucial for flood control, irrigation, and regional development, but nothing happened.
For the residents, however, the implementation of the Teesta Master Plan represents a chance to finally end the cycle of poverty and environmental instability.