Bangladesh is currently facing severe floods in many of its areas. The region experienced the heaviest rains in many years. Water levels in rivers are the highest in the past 9 years. Reports are claiming that at least 7 people have died and many have been displaced. This situation emerged just days after Bangladesh’s historically major protest, which ousted Hasina Wajid from her seat.
Is India Responsible for the flood in Bangladesh?
Many people are blaming India, claiming that India opened the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti River in Tripura, which caused this flood. However, the Ministry of External Affairs of India has refused all these allegations by saying:
“We have seen concerns being expressed in Bangladesh that the current situation of flood in districts on the eastern borders of Bangladesh has been caused by opening of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti River in Tripura. This is factually not correct. We would like to point out that the catchment areas of Gumti river that flows through India and Bangladesh have witnessed heaviest rains of this year over the last few days. The flood in Bangladesh is primarily due to waters from these large catchments downstream of the dam.”
However, Meteorologist Mostofa Kamal Palash, a PhD researcher in meteorology and climate at the University of Saskatchewan, Bangladesh said;
“India opening the dam is one of the factors behind the flood. India faced flooding with water levels in rivers reaching danger levels due to heavy rain. Every year when India faced flooding they opened the dam. This year also they opened the dam, but in some places the dam gates were damaged as well due to excessive water”.
