Dhaka, June 29 -- The water level in the Teesta River has started receding about 12 hours after upstream inflows and heavy rainfall caused it to cross the danger level at the Dalia point in Nilphamari's Dimla Upazila.

However, local residents fear the river may rise again at any moment, raising the risk of a short-term flood.

At 9am on Monday, the Teesta was flowing at 52.13m at the Dalia water gauge station (Khalisha Chapani Baishpukur), 2cm below the danger level of 52.15m, said Amitabh Chowdhury, executive engineer of the Dalia Division of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in Nilphamari.

At 6pm on Sunday, the river had risen to 52.22m, 7cm above the danger level, he said.

According to Chowdhury, the water level increase...