Amidst prevailing tension in Belonia, South Tripura district, over the Bangladesh authority’s embankment construction along the international border, which has caused local villagers to fear flooding during the monsoon this year, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Tuesday that his government has already communicated the issue to the Centre.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event at Amtali on the outskirts of Agartala city, Saha said his government is seriously looking into the issue.
His comments come in the aftermath of embankments that have been constructed across the international border on the Bangladesh side, at Kailashahar in Unakoti district and Belonia in South Tripura, in recent months.
Speaking to reporters, CM Saha stated that the state government has already taken relevant actions on the embankment issue in the Unakoti district and has sent a detailed information dossier to the Central government for appropriate action.
CM Saha also said that the state government is also in the process of erecting embankments at vulnerable locations and said he hoped local residents would not need to face problems due to the recent embankment-related developments on the other side of the border.
Earlier on April 20, a high-level team of the state government visited the bordering Belonia city and border-adjoining villages, held discussions with the district magistrate, local public representatives and concerned officials, and stated that a series of works to repair and work on embankments on the Indian side, which were broken and damaged in devastating floods last year, is underway and would be completed by June.
The visit occurred amid tension related to an embankment allegedly built near the border on the Bangladesh side, close to the Belonia city of South Tripura district, months after a similar structure was spotted near the zero point of the border at Devipur in Tripura’s Unakoti district.
During the visit, Tripura Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary Kiran Dinkarrao Gitte, who led the visiting team, said that though many embankments in many rivers of the state had broken down or damaged due to unprecedented flood situation last year, work had ben started to repair them under a project of Rs 150 crore across different parts of the state.
In Belonia, the official said some work was already underway on the left and right banks of the Muhuri river near Belonia in South Tripura, where the damage from floods was worst last year among other areas and said some more work would begin in a few days.
He also stated that he has discussed the matter with engineers, the DM, and other officials to expedite the pace of work and mentioned that various projects, including flood management, are underway in adjoining villages such as IC Nagar, Muhuripur, and Hrishyamukh block.
The official cited CM Saha’s statements in the assembly budget session held last month and said CM Saha stated that the state government had identified 43 locations for flood management work across the state.
The devastating floods last year, which claimed 38 lives and affected over 17 lakh people, also incurred estimated damage worth Rs 15,000 crore across various sectors in the state, including road connectivity, power transmission, flood management infrastructure, domestic households, public infrastructure, livestock, and agriculture.
While stating that all works on repairing and constructing embankments would be completed by June, the official also said that the government has decided to post five additional engineers from elsewhere on deputation at Belonia to stay there and expedite work for the next three months.
While the PWD secretary stated that there was nothing to panic about, local elected public representatives and village leaders continued to express concerns about the situation, particularly with the monsoon approaching soon.
Belonia Municipal Council Chairperson Nikhil Chandra Gope said, “Right from the day people in Bangladesh started to set up embankments (on their side), we went to the area with officials of the flood department, interacted with people on how to protect our sides. We have tried to impress upon the department on this subject, and they responded. Our demand to protect Belonia city was to raise the embankment on our side by at least 1 metre or 2 metres.”
The issue came to light after local CPI(M) MLA Dipankar Sen flagged the matter and requested the South Tripura district magistrate and senior BSF officials to take it up with the Central government, which could further initiate a dialogue with the Bangladesh authorities.
Earlier in January this year, the state government expressed concern over the Bangladesh government’s reported construction of an embankment on the Manu river close to the international border near Devipur under Tripura’s Unakoti district.
A team led by Dilip Kumar Chakma, District Magistrate, Unakoti, Friday then inspected the site from the zero point and said the Kailasahar township could face devastating floods owing to the embankment right across the border.
While stating that Tripura had an embankment on the Indian side in Unakoti district, the DM had also said that if Bangladesh raised an old embankment on their side, due to which water during monsoon could be flooded towards Tripura’s Kailasahar town and the Indian authorities would need to strengthen existing embankments here and moreover, the matter would have to be taken up for discussion in the higher level.
As per the 1971 Indira-Mujib pact, any permanent construction within 150 yards on both sides of the zero line is not allowed.
In 2024, false reports regarding the floodgates opening at the Dumbur hydroelectric power project in Tripura’s Gomati district led to a massive outcry in Bangladesh. However, the Government of India clarified that the floodgates were never opened.
Since then, there have been various calls on social media in Bangladesh to construct embankments that are opposite to those on the Indian side.
CM Saha also said that the state government is also in the process of erecting embankments at vulnerable locations and said he hoped local residents would not need to face problems due to the recent embankment-related developments on the other side of the border. (Express File Photo)
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