Teesta swells above red line

According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), the river's water level at the Dalia monitoring station exceeded the danger mark by 4 centimetres at 9:00 a.m. local time, after remaining above the threshold for more than 15 consecutive hours

The Teesta River was flowing above the official danger level on Tuesday morning, heightening concerns of a fourth round of flooding in less than two months across low-lying communities in northern Bangladesh.

According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), the river's water level at the Dalia monitoring station exceeded the danger mark by 4 centimetres at 9:00 a.m. local time, after remaining above the threshold for more than 15 consecutive hours.

The river first crossed the danger level at around 6:00 p.m. on Monday and stayed above the critical mark overnight, despite slight fluctuations in water levels.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), in a special bulletin, warned that continued heavy rainfall and increased upstream runoff could cause river levels across Rangpur Division to rise rapidly over the next two days.

The agency said the Teesta River is expected to continue rising over the next 24 to 48 hours, increasing the likelihood of short-term flooding in low-lying areas along the river in Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts.

The latest warning has renewed anxiety among thousands of residents living along the Teesta basin, many of whom have already endured three separate flood events over the past two months that damaged homes, farmland and local infrastructure.

Sunil Kumar, Executive Engineer of the Lalmonirhat Water Development Board, said the river had remained above the danger level since Monday evening and could rise further within the next 24 hours if rainfall continues upstream.

He said authorities had completed emergency preparedness measures, including stockpiling sandbags and geobags to reinforce vulnerable embankments and respond quickly to potential riverbank erosion.

Local authorities are closely monitoring the situation as disaster management teams remain on standby. Residents in flood-prone areas have been advised to stay alert and follow official instructions as weather and river conditions continue to evolve.