Over five thousand people of Ulipur upazila of the district formed a two-km-long human chain in Ulipur town yesterday, urging the authorities concerned to save the Buri Teesta river (a branch of the Teesta river).

Rail, Waterway and Environment Development Committee and Ulipur Press Club jointly organised the human chain with the theme 'Save the Buri Teesta, Save Ulipur.'

Former lawmaker Amjad Hossain Talukdar, Kurigram Public Prosecutor SM Abraham Lincoln, Ulipur Upazila Parishad Chairman Haidar Ali Mia, District Organising Secretary Jamiul Isalm and Press Club President Abu Sayed Sarkar spoke on the occasion.

The Buri Teesta River was created from the Teesta river at Arjun village of Thetraye union under Ulipur upazila and joins the Brahmaputra river at Kachkol area under Chilmari upazila of the district before flowing into Ulipur town. The Buri Teesta is about 30 km long.

The speakers said the Water and Power Development Authority blocked the Buri Teesta about 20 years ago after the sluice gate of the dam on the river collapsed. As a result, thousands of hectares of cropland become unusable in dry season. Besides, both sides of the Buri Teesta have been grabbed, they  added.

The people demanded recovery of the illegally grabbed lands and construction of a new sluice gate in order to allow the water to flow in the Buri Teesta.

Executive Engineer of Water Development Board in Kurigram Shafiqul Islam said he will build  a new sluice gate in the next fiscal year.