Over thousands  villagers from 500 families of four Gram Panchayats of Bharat Chandra Nagar block located on the north bank of the Muhuri River near Belonia town and along with Indo-Bangladesh border under South Tripura district are facing imminent danger of submersion in coming Monsoon season due to the construction of an embankment by Bangladesh.

Panic grips residents of these four Gram Panchayats of Belonia in Netaji Subhash Chandra Nagar and Ishan Chandra Nagar Gram Panchayats are at risk of being submerged due to monsoon flooding. Even Belonia town itself is under threat of inundation.

Tripura PWD Secretary Kiran Gitte is set to visit Ballamukh and Ishan Chandranagar in Belonia subdivision on Sunday following concerns raised by villagers regarding the reconstruction of an embankment at Kalikapur in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has nearly completed the renovation of an embankment in Kalikapur, located in Feni district, to prevent floodwaters from flowing in from the Indian side.

In violation of the international border agreement, the Bangladesh is constructing a embankment 15 to 20 feet high and 1 to 1.5 kilometers long on no man's land — the border-reserved area — in some places as close as 50 yards, and in others even less than 10 yards, from the Indian border, in areas like North Belonia and Ballamukha under the Netaji Subhash Chandra Nagar and Ishan Chandra Nagar Panchayats and  the dam is now nearing completion.

Suddenly, villagers noticed that there are no drainage outlets in the embankment, which sparked outrage among the residents living along the Indian border. According to international agreements, no country is allowed to undertake any construction within 150 yards of the border pillar. The unauthorized dam by Bangladesh has escalated tensions along the border.

Locals are urgently appealing to the South Tripura district administration and the Government of India to intervene and take immediate action, as the Monsoon has already begun. All eyes are now on how quickly the government and administration act to save the region.

Currently, Bangladesh is continuing the embankment construction around the clock using 10 to 12 dredgers daily. The residents of the area are demanding that either Bangladesh dismantles the dam or ensures proper drainage for water outflow.

Meanwhile, speaking with media persons local MLA Dipankar Sen said that to protect Kalikapur and its adjacent areas, Bangladesh has been constructing an embankment with a height of 8 to 9 feet. However, this has raised serious concern among Indian villagers living in three villages — Uttar Belonia, Ballamukh, Ishan Chandranagar — and nearby localities, said Sen.

Sen said that during his visit, villagers expressed deep concern, warning that the low-lying areas of three to four Indian villages could be severely affected by flooding due to the embankment on the Bangladeshi side. Villagers have demanded the construction of a canal from Ballamukh to Kalikapur via Ishan Chandranagar to allow floodwaters to pass during monsoon, he added.

Earlier, the MLA met the District Magistrate (DM) of South Tripura, Muhammad Sajad P., and briefed him on the concerns raised by locals in light of Bangladesh’s efforts to block floodwaters from the Indian side.

Contacted, South Tripura’s Additional District Magistrate Pradeep K. confirmed the upcoming visit of Gitte. He said that Mr Gitte is scheduled to visit the affected locations on Sunday to gain firsthand knowledge of the concerns raised by the villagers.