The recent flooding in Bangladesh's eastern border districts is not caused by water release from the Dumboor Dam in Tripura, India. This concern has been circulating in Bangladesh, but it is not accurate.
In a press release issued today, Thursday, India's Ministry of External Affairs stated that the flooding in Bangladesh is primarily due to the high levels of rainfall in the Gomati River basin that spans both India and Bangladesh. The release was published on the Ministry's website and shared by the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh on their verified Facebook page.
The statement explains that the Dumboor Dam is located over 120 kilometers upstream from the Bangladesh border and is a relatively low dam, standing about 30 meters tall. The dam generates power that feeds into a grid, with 40 megawatts of electricity being supplied from Tripura to Bangladesh.
There are three water monitoring stations along the 120-kilometer-long Gomati River basin: at Amarpur, Sonamura, and Sonamura-2.
The Ministry of External Affairs reports that heavy rainfall has been occurring in Tripura and the border districts of Bangladesh since Wednesday, August 21. This has led to the automatic release of water from the dam due to increased water pressure.
A water monitoring station at Amarpur was established as part of a bilateral agreement (protocol), through which Indian authorities provide Bangladesh with timely flood-related information.
The Ministry noted that information about the significant increase in water flow was sent to Bangladesh by 3 PM yesterday. However, by 6 PM, communication disruptions occurred due to power outages caused by the flooding. Efforts are being made to maintain communication through other means to ensure the delivery of urgent information. Flooding in shared rivers between India and Bangladesh is a joint issue that causes hardship for both countries' people. The Ministry emphasizes the need for close cooperation to resolve this problem.
The press release also highlighted that there are 54 transboundary rivers between the two countries, and bilateral cooperation on these rivers is crucial. India is committed to resolving existing issues and mutual concerns related to water resources and the management of shared river waters through bilateral consultations and technical discussions.
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