Teesta River erosion displaces 70 families in Chamakdangi

Dibyendu Sinha, MP, 3 Oct 2024, Jalpaiguri: Severe erosion caused by the Teesta River has devastated Chamakdangi village in Jalpaiguri’s Rajganj block, leaving 70 families homeless and affecting around 350 people. 

The village’s main road was washed away, further complicating relief efforts. A 10 member Civil Defense team was deployed to rescue residents, who have been relocated to safer areas. 

According to Jalpaiguri District officials, the erosion is linked to last year’s Sikkim disaster, which caused the Teesta River to rise due to accumulated debris. 

This altered the river’s course, triggering erosion that had been worsening over several days. Despite efforts by the Irrigation department, 10 feet of the village road was submerged early in the morning when the river’s force intensified. 

Rajganj Block Development Officer (BDO) Prashanta Barman, along with Civil Defense and Irrigation department teams, visited the affected areas. Resident Nitai Karmakar described how their homes were lost in minutes, despite efforts to prevent further damage. 

Another resident, Sushil Roy, expressed uncertainty about the future after losing everything, even though temporary shelters were provided. Krishnendu Bhowmik, Chief Engineer of the North East Division of the Irrigation department, explained that the riverbed has risen by 8 to 10 meters in places, causing the river to shift its flow. 

Similar erosion threats are affecting nearby areas like Dharmapur, Bakali and Changmari Premganj. Jalpaiguri Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Tamojit Chakraborty assured that relief efforts are well underway. 

“The displaced families are being provided with dry food, medicines, tarpaulins, and clean drinking water. The Block administration, along with the Irrigation and Forest departments, are coordinating efforts to ensure timely assistance,” he stated. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post: 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/teesta-river-erosion-displaces-70-families-in-chamokdangi-581972