✍️ Anupam Pal
Kailashahar, Unakoti, Tripura
The Government of Bangladesh has undertaken the initiative to reconstruct and elevate old embankments in areas such as Alinagar, Nishchintpur, and Lalarchak. These embankments are being built with a base height of sixty feet and a top height of twenty feet. While this signifies increased safety for Bangladesh, it has become a cause of concern for the people of Kailashahar in India.
In comparison to Bangladesh’s newly built embankments, the embankments on the Indian side are significantly weaker. For over twenty-five years, no repair or reconstruction work has been carried out on India’s embankments. Heavy rainfall could lead to embankment breaches, posing a substantial risk. Although land has been acquired and compensation paid by the Indian authorities, many areas remain without completed embankments. Key locations such as Latiapura, Maguruli, Rangaouti, and Boroband have incomplete embankments.
River erosion in Latiapura has brought the river dangerously close to the embankment. Without proper embankments, flooding during the monsoon season is inevitable, threatening the livelihood and safety of the entire Kailashahar region. This situation has heightened concerns among local residents and representatives.
The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has repeatedly raised objections to Bangladesh’s embankment construction at zero point, but their protests have gone unheeded. The BSF claims that Bangladesh’s border security forces have ignored these objections.
Today, District Magistrate Dilip Kumar Chakma, Additional District Magistrate Arghya Saha, and Vice Chairman of the Gournagar Panchayat Samiti, Badruzzaman, visited the embankment construction site at the border. The BSF and local authorities have submitted their observation reports.
The progress of embankment construction in Bangladesh and the weaknesses of the embankments on the Indian side pose a severe threat to Kailashahar. While Bangladesh might remain safe during the monsoon, there is a strong likelihood that the Indian side will face devastating floods. Immediate action by local and central authorities is essential to ensure balance along the border areas and safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the people.
