Tripura's Sabroom to get respite from water shortage as Bangladesh allows India to draw 1.82 cusecs from Feni river; here's why it's important

Bangladesh’s gesture provides some relief to Sabaroo residents who were forced to rely on groundwater as their only source of potable water, but that too is unfit for consumption due to high iron content In a much-needed relief for the people of Sabroom town in South Tripura, Bangladesh has agreed to let India withdraw 1.82 cusecs of water from Feni river for the residents of the border town. But for the time being, Bangladesh’s gesture provides some relief to Sabaroo residents who were forced to rely on groundwater as their only source of potable water. According to a report in _ The Indian Express, “_Rubber based industries like tyres, surgical threads, textile and apparel industries, bamboo industries, agri-based processing industries are expected to be set up at the SEZ.” However, SEZs are known to have a considerable ecological impact, especially on the water use pattern and the quality of the groundwater. Apart from reclaiming India’s right on the Feni river by negotiating with neighbouring Bangladesh, optimising rubber cultivation and replantation of forest land to create congenial conditions for adequate rainfall is the only solution to prevent a severe water crisis from playing out in Tripura.