Kh.Ekramul Haq Samrat, Kurigram :
A total of 16 rivers including the Teesta, Brahmaputra, Dharla, Dudkumer, Phulkumer,Gangadhar,Kalzani and Zinziram are flowing in Kurigram district.
Most of the parts of the rivers including the Teesta river have been dried up which have turned into a canal in the current dry season. Consequently boat movements are being hampered seriously.Many chars have been developed which turned into a sandy and desert and the navigability falls drastically.
The river routes of Jatrapur under Kurigram Sadar upazila, Roumari and Rajibpur upazila in a threatening. Meanwhile several river routes have been closed, local sources said.
The rivers have been dried up as the vast tracts of rivers are eye catching sandy and it could not be identify as big river, Abdul Jabbar a river side people of the Dharla river said.
The people of char area are crossing the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla and Dudkumer on foot.
The people of river side of the Brahmaputra are crossing on foot at Hatea point daily as it has been dried up, Bhuttu Miah 45 a river side people of Hatea union under Ulupur upazila said.
The Teesta river is flowing in Rajarhat and Ulipur upazila in Kurigram district. The Teesta becomes furious during the rainy season every years engulfs a good number of houses, trees and crop lands which turns like a canal at present. Local people are crossing the river on foot from one place to another. Changing bio diversity the rivers are being dried up here every year.
Taiyab Ali 50 a boat trader of Rajibpur upazila told this correspondent that his two goods boats are abandoned at present due to drastically fall of water level in the Brahmaputra river.
Executive Engineer of Kurigram Water Development Board Abu Taher told New Nation that the rivers entered into Bangladesh from India. Sometimes ice dissolve variance water level. Several channels have been created in the river causing water is flowing in those channels and sandy areas have created. Fertility is also one of the causes.
To solve the problem dredging in the river is needed and it will be continued, he added.
