Top Tripura officials inspect controversial embankment by Bangladesh near Belonia. Citizens fear flood risks; Central Government alerted.
Kiran Gitte, Secretary of the Public Works Department (Water Resources), accompanied by Inspector General of BSF Tripura Frontier, Ashwini Kumar, conducted a visit to Belonia on Sunday to assess pressing issues related to border security and flood risk management. The visit was prompted by concerns over an embankment being constructed by the Bangladesh government along the Muhuri river, which serves as part of the international boundary between India and Bangladesh.
During the visit, the officials carried out an on-the-spot inspection of the embankment’s construction and its potential implications for Indian territory. A significant concern raised was the likelihood of adverse impact on Indian villages and infrastructure during the upcoming monsoon season due to changes in water flow and drainage patterns caused by the embankment.
A high-level meeting was convened at the Belonia Circuit House involving senior officers from various border security units, including the Border Security Force (BSF), to discuss necessary repair works along the Indian side of the border and preventive measures against possible flooding.
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As part of the inspection, Secretary Gitte visited several vulnerable locations in the Netaji Subhash Chandra Nagar and Ishan Chandra Nagar Gram Panchayat areas in North Belonia. He found that the Bangladeshi embankment construction had encroached upon reserved land on the border, constituting a violation of international border agreements.
The inspection team included several key officials such as Superintendent of Police Maurya Krishna, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Pradip Kumar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Debashish Das, and representatives from the Water Resources Development Department and the BSF.
Following the field inspection, Secretary Gitte chaired another meeting at the Circuit House with local leaders including Bharat Chandra Nagar Block Chairman Putul Pal Biswas, Belonia Municipal Council Chairman Nikhil Chandra Gope, and other public representatives. During the meeting, local leaders raised their concerns about the extensive damage caused by the devastating floods in August last year, which severely affected South Tripura district.
They urged the government to expedite relief measures and address ongoing infrastructure issues in flood-prone areas. In response, Secretary Gitte assured that restoration work in the affected areas is already underway. He expressed confidence that all major repair and construction works, including embankments and drainage systems, would be completed by June this year.
“To protect the district headquarters of Belonia, along with neighboring villages, a number of embankments and flood control measures are being implemented. Given the scale of the work in South Tripura, five additional engineers will be deployed to accelerate the pace of construction,” Gitte said.
He further noted that last year’s floods and subsequent landslides had severely damaged embankments along the India-Bangladesh border in several districts, including South Tripura. The government has identified 43 such vulnerable locations across the state, and repair work has either commenced or is scheduled to begin shortly.
The construction of a large embankment by the Bangladesh government, opposite Belonia town, has sparked significant concern among Indian residents. Locals fear that the embankment, if not properly managed, could lead to water accumulation on the Indian side during heavy monsoon rains, increasing the risk of flooding in Belonia and nearby villages such as Ballamukh and Ishan Chandranagar.
Political representatives have also taken note of the situation. Local CPI-M MLA Dipankar Sen recently urged the South Tripura District Magistrate and BSF officials to raise the issue with the Central government, pressing for diplomatic engagement with Bangladesh.
Similar concerns have emerged in northern Tripura’s Unakoti district, where the Bangladesh government has constructed another large embankment. Residents fear that the embankment could exacerbate flooding in Kailashahar town and nearby border villages during the rainy season.
The opposition Congress party has taken up the issue in Unakoti, organizing protests and demanding immediate action. Former Minister and senior Congress leader Birajit Sinha has been leading the agitation, arguing that Bangladesh is unilaterally constructing the embankments without proper consultation, potentially endangering Indian lives and property.
In response to growing public concern, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking urgent intervention. In his letter, the Chief Minister highlighted the risks posed by the Bangladeshi embankment in Unakoti and urged the Home Minister to initiate discussions with the Bangladeshi government to prevent further escalation and to protect Indian territory from future flood disasters.
