PHOTO: STAR

S DILIP ROY, Lalmonirhat

The major rivers in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts, including Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dudhkumar, Gangadhar and Dharla, are drying up, pushing fishermen into crisis.

With the dwindling water flow, smaller tributaries, canals, and beels are also drying up, further worsening the situation. The two districts are home to 26 rivers -- five major ones and 21 smaller ones -- along with 125 beels.

As a result, fishermen who have relied on these waterbodies for generations are being forced to abandon their profession. Many are now working as rickshaw pullers, farm workers, and day labourers to survive.

“Earlier, the water levels would drop during the dry season, but we could still catch fish till January. Now, the rivers and waterbodies start drying up from early November. Our boats are idle, and there are no fish to catch. We are struggling to make ends meet,” said Supen Chandra Das, 55, a fisherman from Jorgach village on a Brahmaputra shoal in Kurigram.

Sudan Chandra Das, 50, from Kulaghat village in Lalmonirhat, said he has been fishing in the Ratnai river his entire life. “This year, the river dried up, leaving me with no income. Now, I buy fish from local farms and sell them in the market, but the earnings are barely enough to feed my family,” he said.

Shiben Chandra Das, 50, from Chakirpashar village in Kurigram, has switched to driving a rented battery-run rickshaw in town. “I invested Tk 1 lakh in nets this year, but I haven’t even earned half of it back,” he said.

According to the Department of Fisheries, Kurigram has 26,200 fishermen families, while Lalmonirhat has 6,400.

“Fishermen lease government waterbodies, but most have dried up. Some registered fishers receive support under the safety net programme, but many are being forced to change professions,” said Muktadir Khan, fisheries officer in Kurigram.

Rakibul Hasan, executive engineer of Water Development Board in Kurigram, said, “The major rivers are trans-boundary rivers. They have been drying up during dry season over the past few years due to lack of water from upstream and silt accumulation in riverbeds.”

“There are 21 small rivers connected to the major rivers. If the rivers are dredged, the water flow will improve during dry season,” he said.