A team including officials from the Tripura government and the Border Security Force (BSF) made a field visit on Sunday to flood-prone villages in the South Tripura district of Belonia along the India-Bangladesh border. This field inspection was made after the demands from the villagers regarding flooding and water-logging with the nearing completion of the embankment by Bangladesh close to the international border.

The inspection visit led by Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary Kiran Gitte ended with a meeting with villagers and local representatives at Circuit House, Belonia, after surveying the border area.

The India-Bangladesh border stretching across Tripura runs for 856 kilometers. Tensions over this border remain high since the downfall of Sheikh Hasina-led government in Bangladesh in August last year.

Gitte assured villagers that the administration is taking measures to solve the issue. He added that much of the work would be done ahead of the monsoon season as flood-control works are just going to be intensified.

“There is no need to panic. We have deployed five additional engineers to Belonia on deputation to strengthen the embankment on our side. We will complete the work by June. We seek the cooperation of everyone for speedy completion,” Gitte said after the meeting.

Flood control works are ongoing at 43 different sites across Tripura. Severe floods last year caused extensive damage, with many embankments across the state being washed away.

Gitte did not discuss the under-construction embankment in Feni district of Bangladesh, which has been the basis for most local fears. Reports accuse the embankment of having been established only 15 yards from the zero line on the border, much within the 150-yard no-construction zone along the India-Bangladesh border agreement.

The dam is reportedly going to prevent future flooding from Mahuri River during the next monsoon.

What the villagers fear are the severe water-logging conditions that this dam does not come with adequate water outlets because, according to a recent visitor from Agartala to the affected area on Sunday, around 500 peoples of four bordering village panchayats have demanded government intervention-either dismantling of the dam or, if not, adequate measures to ensure no flooding in their villages.

At the beginning of this year, similar construction by Bangladesh near Kailashahar in Unakoti district had created comparable flood horror.