Floods in Bangladesh not caused by Indian dam release, MEA says

Indian officials have refuted claims that the release of water from an upstream dam in Tripura is responsible for the current flooding in eastern Bangladesh.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Indian government clarified that the Dumbur dam on the Gumti River is not the source of the deluge affecting Bangladesh’s border districts. The dam, located over 120 kilometers from the Bangladesh border, is described as a low-height structure primarily used for power generation.

“The flood in Bangladesh is primarily due to waters from large catchments downstream of the dam,” the statement read, pointing to heavy rainfall in the region since August 21 as the main cause.

Indian authorities said that they have been sharing real-time flood data with Bangladesh as part of a bilateral protocol. However, communication was temporarily disrupted due to a power outage caused by flooding on August 21.

The statement highlighted the shared nature of the flooding issue, impacting communities on both sides of the border. It also reaffirmed India’s commitment to addressing water resource issues through bilateral consultations and technical discussions.

With 54 cross-border rivers shared between the two nations, river water cooperation remains a crucial aspect of Indo-Bangladesh relations.