THOUSANDS of people living in the Muhuri basin in Feni recovering from socio-economic losses of the flash flood earlier in July are now faced with similar uncertainty again as the transboundary river swelled by 11 feet in three hours with no warning on June 20. It rained moderately to heavily on the catchment area spreading between India鈥檚 Tripura and Bangladesh in the preceding 24 hours before the river started rising, which is not enough to cause such an overnight change in river height. The Bangladesh Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre warned of a flash flood in the Teesta basin in the north but made no mention of the impending disaster in the south-east. Meanwhile, independent weather forecasters point out that India was clearing water from the barrage storage to tackle the impending wet spell and arbitrarily opened the Kalashi barrage. The government should immediately take up the issue with the Joint River Commission and other diplomatic channels.
India opening its barrages built on many transboundary rivers has been the bone of contention for decades. India almost routinely opens the Gajaldoba barrage without warning. The flood forecasting authorities say that they had no information shared by India on the Kalashi barrage, which is about 50km upstream the border. Without having information on rain in the catchment of the Muhuri and its water level data, forecasting flash flood is an almost impossible task. Another flash flood is approaching Feni, with a low likely to form over the Bay of Bengal on July 24, potentially bringing up to 350 millimetres of rain over three days in Chattogram and adjacent areas in upstream Tripura. An unequal access to water in transboundary rivers has also caused the death of many rivers in the north. In the name of sharing, India holds water during the dry season that severely affects farming in the north and opens the gates during the monsoon season to manage flood water in West Bengal. In March, the Joint River Commission agreed on a collaborative approach to address important issues, including information exchange on flood forecasting and water sharing. The flash flood situation in Feni suggests that such promises remain rhetorical as India continues to make arbitrary decisions on river-water sharing.
The government should, therefore, immediately and strongly raise its concern with India that its arbitrary decisions are not only a deviation from the river water sharing decisions but also a violation of international practice and protocols on transboundary river management. The government should also ensure that emergency relief and shelter support are readily available for the affected people in Feni.