The Teesta River is a 414-kilometer glacier-fed river originating from Tso Lhamo Lake in North Sikkim, India. It flows south through Sikkim and West Bengal, enters Bangladesh, and merges with the Jamuna River (Brahmaputra). The river is crucial for the economy and ecology of the region, but there is a long-standing political dispute over its dry-season water sharing. Bangladesh seeks a 50% share to support agriculture, while a 2011 treaty is stalled due to political opposition in West Bengal. The Teesta River flows near the Siliguri Corridor—a narrow 20-to-22 kilometer stretch of land in West Bengal known as India's "Chicken's Neck"—which links the Indian mainland to its eight northeastern states. The Teesta also faces challenges from sudden floods and changing paths, driven by high mountains, monsoon rains, glacial lake outburst floods, and dam releases, causing damage in Sikkim and West Bengal. The swift-flowing Teesta River cuts through the mountains; a short distance away, houses are being swallowed by the river—the result of the waterway shifting course after a sudden flash flood. Vehicles move along the newly constructed road beside the river at Siliguri, West Bengal, India, on April 15, 2026.
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