47.584 km still unfenced in Tripura with Bangladesh, River, Cliff creating issues

A significant stretch of 47.584 kilometers along the Tripura-Bangladesh border remains without fencing, citing multiple factors including hindrance from the Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB).

During the second day of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, Nayan Sarkar and Ranjit Debbarma, MLAs from CPIM and TIPRA Motha expressed their concerns over this issue.

According to a report from the Home Department, certain areas in six districts of the state—Unakoti, Khowai, North Tripura, Sepahijala, Dhalai, and South Tripura—still lack fencing with neighboring Bangladesh.

In Unakoti, a stretch of 65 meters remains unfenced due to the presence of the Land Custom Station and obstruction by the BGB. In Khowai District, 405 meters lack fencing due to water flow in the riverine areas. In North Tripura District, a 400-meter section is unfenced due to a high cliff. In Sepahijala District, covering the majority of the international border, a 6.556 km-long area is still unfenced, with recent commencement of work. In Dhalai, a stretch of 37.610 km remains unfenced due to various reasons such as movement of engineering goods, heavy vehicle traffic in areas with incomplete border fencing due to road renovation, international agreements, and in some parts, due to the water flow of the Dhalai River. In South Tripura, approximately 2.548 km still lacks fencing, as construction has begun after land acquisition in certain parts of Belonia sub-division, and work has paused for the construction of a gate at Dashmighat in Sabroom.

"The Tripura government formally notified the concerned Ministry of the Central Government on 05/02/2021 to expedite the completion of the unfinished Border Fencing work. A subsequent review meeting occurred in Agartala on 13/11/2021, attended by the Secretary of Border Management of the Central Government, addressing Border Fencing and related issues. During the meeting, all agencies responsible for the work were directed to accelerate the completion process. Additionally, the state government regularly monitors the progress of the fencing work with the involved agencies. However, the Tripura government has not received information from the central government regarding the expected completion date of the work."