Catastrophic flooding and landslides have devastated northeastern India and eastern Bangladesh, claiming at least 36 lives and affecting millions. In India’s Tripura state, the death toll has risen to 23, while Bangladesh reports 13 fatalities. The disaster has forced hundreds of thousands from their homes, with over 65,000 people in India and 190,000 in Bangladesh seeking shelter in relief camps.The scale of the disaster is immense, with approximately 1.7 million people affected in Tripura and 4.5 million in Bangladesh. Liakath Ali, director of BRAC’s climate change, urban development, and disaster management program, described the situation as ‘the worst flooding Bangladesh has seen in three decades’. He added, ‘Entire villages, all of the families who lived in them, and everything they owned — homes, livestock, farmlands, fisheries — have been washed away’.Both countries are grappling with rescue efforts and providing aid to those affected. The Indian Army has joined the relief operations, rescuing 334 people stranded by rising floodwaters. In Bangladesh, military and border guards are assisting in rescue efforts, with over 75,000 people taken to more than 1,500 shelters in the flood-hit districts.The cause of the flooding has become a point of contention between the two countries. Some Bangladeshi officials and residents have accused India of releasing water from the Dumbur dam in Tripura, exacerbating the floods. However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has denied these claims, stating that the dam is far from the border and that both countries have suffered significant damage due to heavy rainfall.As rescue and relief efforts continue, the full extent of the damage to agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure remains to be assessed. With more rain forecast, authorities in both countries remain on high alert, working to mitigate further loss of life and property damage.
Key points
- Floods and landslides in northeastern India and eastern Bangladesh have killed at least 36 people.
- Over 6 million people have been affected across both countries, with hundreds of thousands displaced.
- Rescue efforts are ongoing, with military forces deployed in both countries to assist.
- There is controversy over the cause of the floods, with some Bangladeshi officials blaming water release from an Indian dam.
Contradictions👾There are conflicting reports about the cause of the flooding.
Some Bangladeshi officials and residents blame India for releasing water from the Dumbur dam, while India’s Ministry of External Affairs denies these claims.
