Teesta running shallow as sedimentation mounts

Decades of sediment and sand accumulation have significantly altered the morphology of the Teesta River, particularly around the Teesta Barrage at Dalia, reducing the river’s capacity to carry water and increasing the risk of erosion along both banks.

Local representatives, river conservation campaigners and water management experts are urging the government to undertake planned dredging and scientific sediment management to restore the river’s navigability and improve water utilisation.

A recent visit to the Dalia Barrage found substantial deposits of silt and sand in front of several sluice gates and along adjacent stretches of the river.

Sandbars and elevated sediment deposits have formed in many locations, obstructing the natural flow of water.

As a result, the river is less able to retain excess monsoon flows, while the limited dry-season water reaching Bangladesh cannot be stored or utilised effectively.

According to officials, heavy sedimentation extends along the Bangladesh section of the Teesta from Jharshingheshwar, near the upstream entry point, to Fulchhari in Gaibandha.

In some places, the riverbed has risen to a level equal to or even higher than the surrounding floodplains and agricultural land.

Consequently, even modest increases in upstream discharge can trigger severe riverbank erosion, threatening homes, farmland and local infrastructure.

A source at the Bangladesh Water Development Board’s (BWDB) Dalia Division said an estimated 1.22 million cubic metres of sediment has accumulated within 500 metres upstream and downstream of the Teesta Barrage.

Local government representatives, including Purba Chatnai Union Parishad Chairman Md Abdul Latif Khan, Tepa Kharibari Union Parishad Chairman Robiul Islam and former Khaga Kharibari Union Parishad Chairman Robiul Islam Lithon, said the Teesta enters Bangladesh through Jharshingheshwar in Dimla upazila. Despite being located close to the barrage, communities in the upstream areas receive little irrigation benefit while facing recurring riverbank erosion.

According to them, erosion regularly affects Jharshingheshwar, Purba Chatnai, Doholpara, Kisamat Chatnai, Uttar Kharibari, Khaga Kharibari, parts of Tepa Kharibari Char, Char Kharibari, Tapurchar and Chhotokhata, forcing many families to relocate to embankments.

“The river has lost so much depth that in several places the riverbed is now level with, or even higher than, adjacent farmland. Planned removal of sand and silt is essential to prevent a future disaster,” they said.

Teesta River Protection Committee President Faridul Islam Farid said erosion intensifies whenever river levels rise.

He identified vulnerable areas including Minar Bazar Ferry Ghat, Brief Bazar Ferry Ghat, Ashrayan Bazar, Gangakhawa Ghat in Kolkondo Union, embankments near Lakshmitari and Chollishshal Mouza in Rangpur’s Gangachara upazila.

He also cited Hasarpara in Kurigram’s Rajarhat upazila, as well as Kalmati, Rajpur and Harinchhara in Lalmonirhat, among other erosion-prone locations in Nilphamari and Hatibandha.

According to him, declining navigability and illegal sand extraction have compounded erosion along the river.

BWDB Dalia Division Executive Engineer Amitabh Chowdhury said a project titled “Conservation and Proper Utilisation of Surface Water Resources through Dredging Upstream of the Teesta Barrage” has already been submitted, while extensive sediment removal has also been incorporated into the proposed Teesta Master Plan.

He added that a tender has been floated under the Teesta Irrigation Project Command Area Rehabilitation and Expansion Project to procure a dredger.

Once acquired, regular dredging operations are expected to help maintain the river’s navigability.

The executive engineer noted that Bangladesh has long relied on dredging as a key river management tool.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is currently carrying out dredging in several rivers, while sediment management has also been recognised as a priority in the draft National Sediment Management Policy prepared in 2025.

Local residents also alleged that a substantial share of the Teesta’s upstream flow originating in India’s Sikkim is diverted through the Gajoldoba Barrage and other upstream infrastructure, reducing dry-season water availability in Bangladesh.

They argued that extensive sedimentation further limits the country’s ability to conserve and utilise the reduced downstream flow.

Experts say restoring the Teesta’s health will require an integrated strategy combining scientific dredging, effective sediment management and comprehensive river training.

Without sustained intervention, they warn, one of northern Bangladesh’s most important rivers for agriculture, irrigation and the regional economy is likely to experience further declines in navigability, while riverbank erosion and flood-related losses continue to intensify.