Erosion of Teesta River threatens Laltong & Chamakdangi villages

Dibyendu Sinha, MP, 6 Oct 2024, Jalpaiguri: Two villages in Jalpaiguri district, Laltong and Chamakdangi, are on the brink of getting totally submerged owing to the Teesta River changing its course. 

The river, which has shifted approximately 1.5 kilometers inward near Chamakdangi, has already displaced 75 families. The district administration has begun the process of evacuating residents and identifying land for their permanent rehabilitation. 

According to officials, efforts are underway to locate suitable government land for the resettlement of affected families. On Saturday, officials from the Jalpaiguri district administration, including land revenue officer Sukhen Roy, visited several locations near the Salugara forest. 

The rehabilitation process is expected to start after the Durga Puja festival, following consultations with the displaced residents of the two villages. 

“We require eight acres of land to rehabilitate 119 families. We have already inspected three potential sites,” said Sukhen Roy. Jalpaiguri Sadar Sub-Divisional Officer, Tamaojit Chakraborty, added that Shivnagar is being considered as the most suitable location for the resettlement. 

“Although the land has been identified, the formal government process of allocating it will take some time. We hope to complete the process by the end of this month. In the meantime, assistance is being provided to those whose homes in Chamakdangi are still intact to help them evacuate safely,” he explained. 

The change in the Teesta’s course began last year following a natural disaster in Sikkim, which caused a significant rise in the riverbed. 

The Irrigation department has attributed the river’s course shift to this rise, which is now threatening to submerge entire villages. Agricultural land in the area has also been severely impacted, with large sections of farmland swept away. 

For the residents of Laltong and Chamakdangi, the joy of the upcoming Durga Puja has been overshadowed by uncertainty. As their homes crumble, 119 families are more concerned with finding shelter than celebrating, with many wondering where they will sleep next. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/erosion-of-teesta-river-threatens-laltong-chamakdangi-villages-582313