A sharp fall in the water level of the river Teesta has caused the emergence of large chars in the riverbed in and around Sundarganj upazila, disrupting waterways communication and posing threat to the livelihood of local fishermen and boatmen.

Executive Engineer Abdul Awal Mia of Bangladesh Water Development Board in Gaibandha said the water level dropped suddenly because India might have shut down the gates of their Gozaldoba Barrage a little bit earlier than they do every year, restricting water from flowing into Bangladesh.

Such a scenario is generally noticed at the end of December or in early January. But this year, it has happened before the end of November, said locals.

All sorts of waterways communication from Gaibandha's Sundarganj to Kurigram's Ulipur upazila remain suspended due to the absence or lack of navigability of the Teesta, making the lives of locals quite difficult.

On the char areas, locals were seen walking to their destinations -- sometimes with their goods or food grains. Many were riding horse carts and motorcycles there, a scene unimaginable had not the river dried up.     

During a bike ride from Haripur Ghat to Kashim Bazaar in Sundarganj recently, this correspondent saw boats, tied to poles in the riverbed, awaiting the rainy season when the river retrieves its navigability.   

On the other hand, many farmers were seen preparing the riverbed for cultivating corn, onion, tobacco, oil seeds, pumpkin and other vegetables.

The river ghats -- Tarapur, Ramdakua, Belka, Haripur, Bochagari Lalchamar, Kapasia and Bhati Burail -- in Sundarganj wore a deserted look having no passengers, said Qashem Ali, a local boatman.

"We are passing hard days and all the fishing boats will stand still in the riverbed for the next six months until the rainy season arrives," said boatman Dhiresh Majhee at Tarapur ghat.

Fisherman Naren Das said many like him migrated to other places during the dry season every year, but this year they were facing the havoc earlier.

Mozharul Islam, chairman of Haripur union, said they had appealed to different organisations, including the Water Development Board, for dredging the riverbed up during the rainy season so that there remained enough store of water during the dry season.

"But nobody paid any head to that," he lamented.