Teesta river poses threat to life, property and wildlife in Siliguri

SILIGURI - The raging Teesta River is posing a major threat to life and property in West Bengal’s Siliguri District.

Major changes have occurred in the course of the river which have badly affected the nearby terrain.he river has already destroyed a lot of forest cover and trees of the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary over the past few years, particularly during the monsoon season.

“Floods happen every year due to this Teesta River. It is causing a lot of soil erosion and is posing a threat to the Wildlife Sanctuary, the forest where there are Royal Bengal Tigers also,” said Jivan Pradhan, a farmer.he Chamakdangi village, on the banks of the river, has also been badly affected as nearly 80 percent of its cultivated land has destroyed due to the Teesta river.

The village’s main source of livelihood is farming and it has been severely hampered by the river water.

“The river has done away with it a lot of land. It is damaging the forest to a large extent. The Forest Department has not done anything for this cause,” rued Gautam Chettri, a farmer.

The national highway in the area is also facing similar problems due to the turbulent nature of the River Teesta, which has been worsened by the heavy downpours, resulting in landslides and soil erosion. By Tarak Sarkar (ANI)