India Denies Role in Bangladesh Floods, Clarifies No Water Release from Tripura Dam

(Source: Indian Express; Section: Explained; Page: 19)

 Analysis of News:  

Impact of Floods in Bangladesh

• Nearly 1.8 million people across 43 upazilas in Bangladesh were affected by the floods, especially in districts bordering Tripura.

Rumors and Official Denial

• Unverified social media claims suggested that India had released water from the Gumti hydro-electric project, leading to floods in Bangladesh.
• Tripura’s Power Minister, Ratan Lal Nath, clarified that no floodgates were opened. Instead, excess water automatically escaped the reservoir due to heavy rainfall.
• The MEA reiterated that the claims regarding the Dumbur dam were factually incorrect, attributing the floods to heavy rains in the catchment areas downstream of the dam.

Dumbur Dam and River Systems

• The Dumbur dam is located more than 120 km upstream of the India-Bangladesh border and is not responsible for the floods.
• The Gumti River, formed by the Raima and Sarma rivers, is Tripura’s most significant river and continues to flow above the danger mark due to heavy rainfall.

Gumti river:

• Source– Dumur, Tripura
• Mouth– Meghna River
• The Gumti, Gomti, Gumati or Gomati is a river flowing through the north-eastern Indian state of Tripura and the district of Comilla in Bangladesh.
• A dam has been constructed near Dumbur on the river that has formed a 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi) lake.

Heavy Rainfall in Tripura

• South Tripura district received 288.8 mm of rain in a single day on August 19, while Agartala recorded 233 mm in 24 hours.
• The heavy rain caused severe flooding, with at least 24 people feared dead and 1.28 lakh people sheltered in relief camps since August 19.