A big administrative team led by Secretary of the State Public Works and Flood Control Department, Kiran Gitte visited the Debipur border in the Rangauti Gram Panchayat along the Indo-Bangladesh international boundary in Kailashahar and inspected the embankment constructed by Bangladesh on the Manu River on Sunday. The visit followed political uproar after Congress MLA Birajit Sinha led a long march.

The issue was raised by the MLA Birajit Sinha in the Assembly regarding the alleged illegal construction of embankment at the zero point of the border by Bangladesh. The issue gained momentum when Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha brought it to the attention of Union Home Minister during his visit to Delhi. However, BSF officials from Panisagar Sector dismissed the claims, stating that the structure was not an embankment but a road connecting two villages in Bangladesh.

In response, the Congress party organized a one-hour road blockade near the airport and led a long march from Tillabazar to the Devipur border. Party leaders warned that if embankment construction on the Indian side did not commence within 15 days, they would call for a 48-hour bandh in Kailashahar, followed by an indefinite siege of the flood control department’s office.

Congress leaders argue that Bangladesh’s embankment will increase the risk of severe flooding in Kailashahar during the monsoon. They recall that the region narrowly avoided disaster last year. With Bangladesh now constructing a much higher and wider embankment, the situation has alarmed residents, who fear that floodwaters will be diverted towards Kailashahar.

 The BSF has been criticized for its delayed response, with allegations that they initially ignored the construction but reacted only after the issue was raised in the Assembly.

With the Monsoon approaching, residents fear potential flooding if immediate action is not taken. The demand for a robust embankment on the Indian side is growing louder, and all eyes are now on the state government’s response to the crisis.

 Last year, a breach in the border dam had prevented widespread flooding in Kailashahar, but this year, a much larger and stronger embankment  has been built, which could protect the Bangladesh border while putting Kailashahar at risk.

Astonishingly, despite the embankment  being built close to the Indo-Bangladesh zero point, the BSF remained inactive. Only after the issue was raised in the assembly did the BSF react, now attempting to justify the structure as a mere road. Reports suggest that satellite images of the dam have already been sent to the Union Home Minister by the Chief Minister.

During the visit, Kiran Gitte and other high-ranking officials entered the zero point through the Debipur border gate and inspected the entire area. After the inspection, Badruzzaman, Vice Chairman of the Gournagar Panchayat Samiti, demanded the construction of a high and robust dam along the Kailashahar border. Kiran Gitte assured that a taller dam would be built soon.

Badruzzaman also informed that ₹21 crore has already been sanctioned for the repair of the Manu River dam. Apart from Debipur, several other areas, including the airport vicinity, Govindpur, the cremation ground, Kamranga Bari, and Howar Bazar, are also at risk due to the deteriorating condition of embankments. Additionally, illegal sand quarries in some locations have further weakened the dams.

If a high embankment is not built on the Manu River before the Monsoon season, Kailashahar is at serious risk of submerging due to heavy rains. This has left the residents of Kailashahar in a state of fear regarding the ongoing construction of the Bangladesh border dam.