Agartala, May 20: Congress MLA Birajit Sinha has raised serious concerns over the ongoing reinforcement of the Manu River embankment in Tripura’s Kailashahar, warning that substandard work and slow progress could lead to devastating floods in the region during the upcoming monsoon.
Sinha, who had earlier flagged Bangladesh’s construction of a high embankment near the zero point as a potential flood threat to Kailashahar in Unakoti district, visited the site along with a five-member delegation. After inspection, he alleged that the current embankment work is not being carried out as per the approved work order and lacks quality control.
The project, taken up after nearly 45 years, is being executed at multiple locations across the region—including Sonamukhi, Kamrangabari, and Durgapur—at an estimated cost of ₹40 crore. However, local residents have accused the executing agency of corruption and negligence from the start.
Sinha pointed out that loose soil was being dumped over the old embankment without compaction using heavy machinery. Although the work order mandates raising the embankment by five feet, in several areas it has been elevated by only one or half a foot, with no proper widening.
He criticized the use of only four dump trucks for such a large-scale project, saying at least 20 should be used to complete the work before the monsoon peaks. During his visit, no supervising officials were present at the site, allowing the contractor to bypass departmental guidelines.
Following the visit, the delegation met with Executive Engineer Ranjay Debbarma and expressed strong dissatisfaction. Sinha warned that if urgent corrective measures are not implemented, Kailashahar—especially the airport’s southern zone—faces a serious risk of flooding, as seen during the 2018 embankment breach.
