Bangladesh embankment: Tripura engineers visit border areas to study impact

Agartala, Jan 19 The engineers of the Water Resources Department of the Tripura government on Sunday visited the bordering areas of Unakoti district to study the controversial embankment, being constructed unilaterally by the Bangladesh government on its land, officials said.

Tripura engineers apprehend that the Bangladeshi embankment may endanger the district town of Kailashahar and border villages during monsoon floods.

A senior Tripura government official said the department engineers would submit a detailed report to District Magistrate Dilip Kumar Chakma who would then submit a report to the state government.

Chakma, accompanied by other senior officials, already visited the bordering areas on Friday and later said that the matter could be taken up with the Central government for appropriate steps.

The District Magistrate already submitted a note to the state government on the controversial embankment, being constructed by the Bangladesh government in the Sharipur and Devipur areas under the Moulvibazar district of the neighbouring country. Moulvibazar district is opposite to Unakoti district of northern Tripura.

The official said that Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and handed over a letter to him on the embankment issue.

“The Chief Minister in his letter to the Home Minister, highlighted the potential effect of the Bangladeshi embankment in Unakoti district and possible floods on the Indian side. The Chief Minister has urged the Home Minister to take up the matter with the Bangladesh government to take appropriate steps by the neighbouring country,” the official said.

The embankment, 20 feet in height and 10 feet in width is now being constructed along the Manu River, which divides the two countries.

The official quoting the preliminary information said the Bangladesh government without any discussion with the Indian authorities has undertaken works to construct the 8 to 10 km long concrete embankment just along the zero line to protect their areas from flood waters. Bangladesh has already constructed around 3 km embankment and work is going on to construct the remaining portion, the official said, adding that after the construction of the embankment with huge height the Unakoti district town Kailashahar and many border villages would be badly affected during monsoon due to recurring flood.

“As per the Indira-Mujib pact, signed on March 19, 1972, and according to the 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh guidelines for border authorities, no structure unilaterally can be constructed within 150 yards from the zero line of the international boundary by either side,” the official said.

There is an embankment on the Indian side, constructed several decades ago, more than 350 yards from the zero line but the height of that old embankment is very low. “The height of the embankment on our side has to be raised substantially otherwise district town Kailashahar and many border villages would be submerged by the flood water during monsoon,” the official pointed out.

Congress legislator from Kailashahar Birajit Sinha, also a former minister, raised the embankment issue in the just concluded winter session of the Tripura Assembly and urged the state government to take up the matter with the Centre.

Responding to the Congress MLA’s matter, Chief Minister Manik Saha had told the House that he would take up the matter with the Centre.

Source: IANS