Agartala: In what appears to be the latest addition to the deterioration of Indo-Bangla border ties, a culturally rich town in Tripura, which is also the headquarters of Unakoti district, is under the threat of perpetual flooding because of the construction of high-rise embankments on the banks of the River Manu on the Bangladesh side.
The people living in the town of Kailashahar, internationally famed for the Unakoti rock carvings, are extremely worried and anxious about Bangladesh’s move, particularly for the ensuing monsoon season.
The River Manu, the longest river of Tripura, enters Bangladeshi territory through Kailashahar’s Latiapura Gram Panchayat and meets the Kushiyara River, a trans-boundary river and a branch of the mighty Barak.
To protect the low-lying areas, both India and Bangladesh constructed embankments around 40 years ago, maintaining the status quo until recent times. With the onset of winter, Bangladesh undertook construction work to increase the height of the embankments and strengthen them. On the other hand, the embankments on the Indian side have reportedly been left unrepaired. Due to a lack of maintenance, the water resistance capacity of the infrastructure has reduced significantly.
According to locals, if the height of the Bangladeshi embankments is increased substantially, overflowing water will cause massive devastation on the Indian side. Speaking to EastMojo on the issue, senior journalist from Kailashahar Mrinal Kanti Sinha said, “Kailashahar is a low-lying area, and people here are largely dependent on agricultural activities for their living. In such a condition, floods are a real threat to the whole system. In July 2018, the embankment on the River Manu was breached, and the whole area witnessed havoc. Six years down the line, people still spend sleepless nights in monsoon recalling the 2018 tragedy.”
He also suggested that the administration must not waste time and undertake the construction of equally strong embankments to save Kailashahar from the looming flood threat.
It should be noted that the present embankments on the Indian side were constructed 40 years ago when former Deputy Chief Minister of Tripura Baidyanath Majumder held the PWD portfolio. A tall Left leader, Majumder also represented Kailashahar in the Tripura Legislative Assembly.
Centre asked to intervene
The matter would never have caught public attention had local Congress MLA Birajit Sinha not raised the issue in the Tripura Legislative Assembly during the recently concluded session. Sinha, during the ‘Zero Hour’ discussion, drew the attention of the Chief Minister to the issue and said that the entire Kailashahar would be affected if proper steps are not undertaken in time.
He also urged the Chief Minister to seek the intervention of the Centre so that this construction could be stalled as early as possible.
“The Chief Minister must intervene and assure the house that India will raise objections to the border construction carried out by Bangladesh, which is not mutually beneficial,” Sinha said.
Fisheries Minister Sudhangshu Das, who also hails from an adjacent assembly constituency in the same district, appreciated Sinha’s intention and voiced concerns over the issue. He also requested the Chief Minister to ensure that the unfenced patch of the border gets sealed with barbed wire fencing. “Cattle smugglers use this route for their operations. Many families have lost their valuable cattle because of these miscreants. This matter should also be considered,” the Minister added.
In his response, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha said, “We have pictures of the construction. The matter has been raised with the Centre, and I will once again take up the matter with the concerned authorities.”
Inspection by Tripura Team
A team of officials from the Unakoti District Administration carried out an inspection of the site on Friday. The team was led by District Magistrate Unakoti Dilip Kumar Chakma.
After his visit, Chakma said, “We have jointly visited the area, and what we could sense is that Bangladesh is constructing a strong embankment. The construction works are still underway. They have significantly increased the height of the embankment, which indicates that during the monsoon, Indian villages along the riverbanks will be adversely impacted as the flow of water towards the other side is being artificially obstructed. The construction is almost on the zero line, and hence I think the top authorities must intervene. We also need to strengthen our embankment on this side, which is old and needs a facelift.”
On being asked whether any administrative communication from the Bangladesh side was made before the construction, he said, “Such issues are generally discussed in appropriate forums. There are flood control agencies of both countries that work jointly and take such decisions. Whether Bangladesh is authorized to carry out the construction is a question that should be answered.”
Sources in the administration said that the Bangladeshi embankments in areas like Alinagar, Nischintapur, and Lalarchak are being constructed with a base width of sixty feet and a height of twenty feet.
Local sources also informed EastMojo that certain villages like Latiapura, Maguruli, Rangaouti, and Broadband remain unprotected from river erosion. Villagers living in those areas consider the monsoon a curse.
Also Read: How a mother in Siaha waited for a doctor while her son breathed his last
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