Tripura Engineers Visit Unakoti Border to review B'deshi Embankment impact
Agartala, Jan 19, 2025, By Our Correspondent72
On Sunday, engineers from the Water Resources Department of the Tripura government visited the border areas in Unakoti district to evaluate the impact of a controversial embankment being built by Bangladesh on its land. The unilateral construction by the neighboring country has raised concerns among Tripura officials about potential flooding in the district town of Kailashahar and adjacent border villages during the monsoon season.
A senior official from the Tripura government reported that the department's engineers will compile a comprehensive report for District Magistrate Dilip Kumar Chakma, who will subsequently present it to the state government. Chakma, along with other senior officials, had already toured the border areas on Friday. He suggested that the issue may need to be escalated to the Central government for necessary intervention.
The embankment, which is 20 feet high and 10 feet wide, is being constructed along the Manu River, marking the boundary between the two countries. Preliminary reports indicate that Bangladesh is undertaking the construction without consulting Indian authorities, aiming to build an 8 to 10 km long concrete embankment right along the zero line to safeguard their regions from floodwaters. Bangladesh has already completed approximately 3 km of the embankment, and work on the remaining section is underway.
| also read :Tripura CM Writes to Amit Shah on Bangladesh's Embankment along Border |
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Saturday, handed over a letter outlining the potential adverse effects of the Bangladeshi embankment on Unakoti district and the likelihood of floods on the Indian side. In his letter, Chief Minister Saha urged the Home Minister to address the issue with the Bangladesh government for appropriate measures.
Under the terms of the Indira-Mujib pact signed on March 19, 1972, and the 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh guidelines for border authorities, no structures can be unilaterally constructed within 150 yards of the zero line of the international boundary by either country. Meanwhile, an existing embankment on the Indian side, built several decades ago at a distance of over 350 yards from the zero line, has insufficient height to protect against floods. Officials suggest that it needs substantial heightening to prevent Kailashahar and nearby border villages from submerging during monsoons.
Birajit Sinha, Congress legislator from Kailashahar and former minister, raised the embankment issue during the recently concluded winter session of the Tripura Assembly. He urged the state government to address the matter with the Centre. In response, Chief Minister Manik Saha assured the House that he would take up the matter with the Central government.