JALDHAKA, NILPHAMARI, May 6: Fifty years after independence, communities living along the Teesta in Jaldhaka Upazila of Nilphamari remain deprived of basic services due to the absence of a bridge.
Residents say education, healthcare and communication have not improved, leaving thousands in the char areas cut off from essential facilities.
People from four riverine unions-Golmunda, Dowabari, Shaulmari and Kaimaari-say they remain heavily dependent on boats during the rainy season and makeshift bamboo bridges or wooden crossings in the dry season to move across the Teesta and Buritista rivers.
With no proper paved roads or nearby healthcare facilities, residents say accessing medical treatment is extremely difficult, particularly during emergencies. Patients often have to be carried on shoulders or makeshift stretchers to reach the nearest health centres or hospitals.
The riverbed of the Teesta has gradually turned into vast sandy chars as water levels recede. While erosion in past years displaced many families, these newly formed char lands have now become a source of livelihood for many who lost their homes.
Farmers have begun cultivating crops such as maize, groundnut, sweet potato, onion, garlic, chilli and various vegetables. Pulses like mung bean, khesari, gram and lentils are also widely grown, helping many families recover economically.
Anisur Rahman from Bhabanchor said he lost land to river erosion a few years ago and moved to the char. "We had no work and lived in hardship. Now, by cultivating maize, potato and vegetables, we are managing to survive," he said.
Another farmer, Kashem from Dowabari's Borobadh area, said he never imagined farming on sandy river land would be possible. "Now farming here has changed our lives," he said.
However, locals say development has not kept pace with agricultural growth. They complain that there are no standard community clinics, schools, or colleges in the char areas. As a result, students and patients face serious hardship.
During emergencies, patients are still carried long distances to reach medical facilities. Residents say many lives are at risk due to delays in treatment.
Locals also point to long-pending plans for a bridge over the Buritista River at Monthona Ghat near Nekbakht Bazar in Dowabari union. They say the project was approved at the planning level years ago, but construction has not started despite multiple approvals and surveys.
According to local sources, the project file reached higher authorities but remained stalled for years without progress, leaving residents uncertain about when construction will begin.
Union Parishad representatives said they have submitted proposals for infrastructure development and healthcare facilities in the area.
Residents have urged the government to build the long-demanded bridge and improve road connectivity, saying it is essential to ensure access to healthcare, education and markets and to reduce long-standing suffering in the Teesta char region.
