“We have seen the CNN report on the flood situation in Bangladesh. Its narrative is misleading and suggests that India is somehow responsible for the floods. This is factually not correct and ignores the facts mentioned in the press releases issued by the Government of India clarifying the situation,” Jaiswal said.
Jaiswal also criticized the CNN report for ignoring the existing communication between India and Bangladesh regarding water resources management.
“Also ignored that we have a regular and timely exchange of data and critical information between the two countries through existing joint mechanisms for water resources management,” he added.
The CNN report had claimed that people in Feni, which is near the India-Bangladesh border, accused New Delhi of releasing water from the Dumbur dam in Tripura state without warning.
“They opened the gate, but no information was given,” said Shoriful Islam, a 29-year-old IT worker who returned to his hometown to assist in rescue operations.India denied that the release of water from the dam was intentional and cited excessive rain as a significant factor contributing to the flooding. The government explained that a power outage and communication breakdown prevented them from sending the usual warnings to downstream areas.Earlier, the United Nations News Service reported that over 18 million people in Bangladesh have been affected by the floods. According to UN News Service, “more than 1.2 million families [are] trapped as flash floods submerge vast areas of the country’s east and southeast.”
India continues to assert that it has maintained open lines of communication with Bangladesh on matters related to water resources. Both countries utilize joint mechanisms to manage water resources effectively and exchange critical information.