Bangladesh caught off-guard by India’s reservoir sluice gate opening

Bangladesh’s southeastern Comilla district borders the Tripura state of India to the east. Both regions have been drenched by heavy monsoon rains, with Tripura experiencing significantly more rainfall than Comilla over the past 72 hours.

As the rains showed no sign of letting up and thousands became stranded, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha sent an SOS to Delhi, requesting help to manage the escalating flood crisis. He also ordered the closure of all educational institutions, while the Assam Rifles, known for their swift response in disaster situations, quickly mobilized teams to reach the affected areas.

Amidst the chaos, authorities in Tripura made an impromptu overnight decision to open a sluice gate of the Dumboor Reservoir, releasing a large volume of floodwaters downstream to Comilla in Bangladesh via the transboundary Gomti River.

The consequences were immediate: since Wednesday morning, a vast swath of farmland in Comilla has been submerged by the oncoming waters, with people losing their livelihoods, homes, and crops across thousands of hectares. This caught authorities on the Bangladeshi side of the border off guard, as there had been no official communication from the Indian or Tripura authorities about their decision to open the sluice gate—a move taken for the first time since 1993.

It’s understandable that the decision to open the gate after 31 years was driven by the relentless heavy rains battering Tripura. However, the most unfortunate aspect of these events is the glaring communication gap between the two neighboring countries, who share many common rivers.

Officials confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that India did not inform Bangladesh when one of its states (Tripura) took an action that significantly impacted the lives and properties of people on the other side of the border in Comilla.

“No, we were not notified by the Indian side about their decision to open the reservoir sluice gate,” confirmed Partha Pratim Barua, a sub-divisional engineer working at the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).

He added that, at the very least, Bangladesh could have taken some precautionary measures to protect people and assets from the sudden floodwaters had India given advance notice of their action.

Partha also mentioned, “We [Bangladesh and India] have MoUs for exchanging rainfall data at 14 points in various border zones, but the Comilla-Tripura front isn’t covered under those MoUs. We still manage to gather rainfall data from across the border in one way or another, but when it comes to one side’s decision to open a sluice gate, there’s no tradition of notifying the other side.”

Officials involved in flood forecasting and disaster management find it very unfortunate that, after years of apparent close cooperation between Bangladesh and India, the two South Asian neighbors still haven’t managed to collaborate on crucial issues like flood forecasting.

Agartala-based media outlet Borok Times reported on Wednesday: “The release of water from the reservoir has further compounded the flooding situation, as rivers and streams in the plains have swelled beyond their capacities. Many areas, including agricultural lands and residential regions, are now submerged, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.”

The report added that the reopening of the Dumboor Reservoir’s sluice gate after three decades serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable power of nature and the challenges the region faces in managing such extreme weather events.

The Dumboor Reservoir at Tripura’s Dumboor Lake is a vast water body covering 41 square kilometers, located in Gandacherra Sub-Division, 120 kilometers from the state capital, Agartala. A hydroelectric project near the lake is the source of the Gomti River, which meanders through the hills, turns west, and enters Bangladesh near Katak Bazar in Comilla Sadar. The river eventually merges with the Meghna at Shapta in Daudkandi upazila.

The Gomti is a hilly river with a strong current. On Wednesday, the river swelled to its brim, overflowing along its course toward Comilla, inundating many villages in Mainamati and other areas.