Agartala: Fear of flash floods gripped residents of four panchayats under the Bharat Chandra Nagar rural development block, under South Tripura District, after Bangladesh authorities enhanced the height of embankments near the Indo-Bangla border.
Locals of Netaji Subhash Chandra Nagar, Ishan Chandra Nagar, North Belonia, and Ballamukha Panchayats under Belonia subdivision demanded immediate administrative efforts to protect them from the imminent flood threats.
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With the onset of the monsoon, over 500 families living near the northern bank of the Muhuri River are at risk of being at the receiving end of heavy floods this monsoon.
Sources said that the Bangladesh government is constructing a large embankment at the no man’s buffer zone that exists between the international borders of the two countries. It is a sheer violation of the Indira-Mujib border treaty.
The embankment with a height of 15 to 20 feet looks spread in around two kilometres as visible through the Indian side of the barbed wire fencing. It is a standard protocol that both the countries shall avoid constructing anything within the 150 yards of the international borders but the new infrastructure is barely 10 to 15 years away from the border pillar which is considered to be the zero point.
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Villagers claimed that the construction leaves no channels for water drainage during heavy rains. They fear that the rising water level of the Muhuri River, already swelling due to monsoon rains, could soon inundate their homes and croplands.
South Tripura witnessed the worst flood in history in August 2024.
Despite the growing concern, there has been no official statement from the authorities. Meanwhile, Bangladesh continues embankment construction without any hindrances.