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Journalism of Courage
The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday (August 22) clarified that the floods that have hit several districts in eastern Bangladesh were not triggered by release of water from Dumbur dam in Tripura, as has been claimed by some social media accounts.
Nearly 18 lakh people belonging to 1.9 lakh families were marooned in 43 upazilas of the districts of Comilla, Feni, Chattogram, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, and Moulvibazar, according to the Department of Disaster Management and Relief of Bangladesh, The Daily Star reported. Five of these districts share borders with Tripura.
Following heavy rain in Tripura from August 19 onward, unsubstantiated claims appeared on social media about the opening of the Gumti hydro-electric project floodgates. Some Bangladeshi handles alleged without evidence an Indian “conspiracy” to “punish” the country’s post-Hasina rulers.
Tripura Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath clarified on Wednesday that no flood gates had been opened; instead, excess water from the Gumti reservoir had automatically escaped through the spillway after crossing the 94-m mark, which is the reservoir’s full capacity.
On Thursday, the MEA reiterated that claims about the “opening of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti River in Tripura” were “factually not correct”. The statement explained that “the catchment areas of Gumti river that flows through India and Bangladesh have witnessed heaviest rains of this year over the last few days” and “the flood in Bangladesh is primarily due to waters from these large catchments downstream of the dam”.
The MEA also explained that Dumbur is a low dam (about 30 m) that is located more than 120 km upstream of the border, and generates power that feeds into a grid from which Bangladesh draws 40 MW. Also on Thursday, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh called on the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government Dr Muhammad Yunus, and reiterated New Delhi’s commitment to work with Dhaka.
Rivers like Manu in Dhalai district; Deo at Kumarghat; Kakri and Juri in North Tripura; Feni, which is spanned by the Indo-Bangla Maitri Setu in South Tripura; Muhuri, Lawgang, and Khowai; Gomati in Udaipur of Gomati district; Howrah in Agartala, all rose unnaturally following heavy rain earlier this week. The Gomati continues to flow above the danger mark.
The Gumti project, which was commissioned in 1976 and has an installed capacity of 15 MW, is the only hydroelectric power project in the state. The river on which the Dumbur dam stands is formed at the confluence of the smaller Raima and Sarma rivers, and is Tripura’s most significant river. After flowing into Bangladesh, the river merges with the Meghna.
On August 19, South Tripura district received 288.8 mm of rain in a single day. The capital, Agartala city, recorded 233 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning. The heavy rain, among the highest the state has ever received, has had the worst impact in Khowai, West Tripura, Sepahijala, Gomati, and South Tripura.
At least 24 people are feared dead in the rain and floods. Some 1.28 lakh people have been sheltered in 558 relief camps since August 19.
