Concerns are rising in Tripura, India, over a controversial embankment being constructed by Bangladesh along the Manu River, which demarcates the border between the two countries.
Officials in Tripura fear that the embankment could exacerbate monsoon flooding in Kailashahar district, potentially endangering the district town and surrounding villages.
Engineers from the Water Resources Department of the Tripura government visited the border areas of Unakoti district on Sunday to assess the situation. They are expected to submit a detailed report to the District Magistrate, who will then forward it to the state government.
District Magistrate Dilip Kumar Chakma, who visited the area on Friday, has already submitted a preliminary report to the state government expressing concerns about the embankment's potential impact.
The embankment, which is 20 feet high and 10 feet wide, is being constructed in the Sharipur and Devipur areas of Bangladesh's Moulvibazar district, opposite Unakoti district in northern Tripura.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday to discuss the issue and handed over a letter highlighting the potential for flooding in Unakoti district. The Chief Minister urged the Home Minister to raise the matter with the Bangladesh government.
According to preliminary information, the Bangladesh government initiated the construction of the 8 to 10 km long concrete embankment along the zero line without any prior discussion with Indian authorities.
Approximately 3 km of the embankment has already been constructed. Tripura officials fear that the height of the embankment could divert floodwaters towards Kailashahar and surrounding villages during the monsoon season.
Adding to the concern is the fact that the embankment appears to violate the Indira-Mujib pact signed in 1972 and the 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh guidelines for border authorities.
These agreements stipulate that no structure can be unilaterally constructed within 150 yards of the zero line by either side. While there is an older embankment on the Indian side, it is located further from the zero line and is significantly lower in height.
The issue was also raised in the recent winter session of the Tripura Assembly by Congress legislator Birajit Sinha, who urged the state government to take up the matter with the central government. Chief Minister Saha assured the Assembly that he would address the issue.
