Embankment construction by B'desh: Cong urges Tripura govt to resolve issue

Agartala, April 24 (IANS) Construction of embankments by the Bangladesh government continues to dominate Tripura politics with the opposition Congress on Thursday urging the state government to resolve the issue as the embankments of the neighbouring country might endanger two district towns and many villages in the state.

Tripura Pradesh Congress President Asish Kumar Saha on Thursday in an urgent letter to Tripura Chief Secretary Jitendra Kumar Sinha requested to resolve flood management problems arising due to the constructions of embankments by the Bangladesh government along the state’s two districts -- Unakoti and South Tripura districts.

Various reports suggest that reconstruction work of an elevated big embankment by Bangladesh has been stalled due to opposition of Border Security Force in Unakoti district, the neighbouring country now constructing another big embankment on their territory opposite to South Tripura district headquarter Belonia.

Construction of embankments by the Bangladesh government triggered a huge panic among the people of Unakoti and South Tripura districts and they claimed that during the next monsoon period vast areas of the two districts would be flooded and might damage huge government and private properties.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, however, said that, he in a letter to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah communicated the embankment issue of Unakoti district and the embankment issue relating to South Tripura district is now under study.

Saying that the state government is seriously looking into the matters, the Chief Minister on Tuesday told the media that regarding the embankment issues in South Tripura district detailed information has been gathered and forwarded to the Centre for appropriate action.

Meanwhile, Tripura Public Works Department Secretary Kiran Gitte, who recently visited both Unakoti and South Tripura districts and along with senior officials and conducted on-the-spot studies in both the bordering districts, said that the state government has already taken up to construct new embankments and repairing the old embankments in different parts of the state at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

Before the start of the monsoon, works in most places would be completed, he had said, adding that the PWD, Water Resource Development departments and disaster management authorities are ready to deal with any eventualities during the four-month-long (June to September) monsoon period.

Gitte said that to protect the South Tripura district headquarters, Belonia and Unakoti district headquarters, Kailashahar, adjoining villages and habitations, embankments are being constructed, and other measures have been taken up, and the ongoing works would be further intensified.

During the last year's (in August) catastrophic flood and landslides, many river embankments along the India-Bangladesh border and other infrastructure were damaged and the government has identified 43 such locations in different districts, including South Tripura district, the senior IAS officer said, adding that works to repair these infrastructures either started or to be started soon.

--IANS

sc/pgh