Feni River

Feni is a southeastern transboundary river between Tripura, an Indian state and Bangladesh. Both the countries have been going through a prevailing dispute over water rights on this river. This article discusses the Feni River along with its origin, course, conflict and other factors.

In this article, we shall be discussing various aspects of the Feni River and its significance, keeping in mind the requirements of the preliminary as well as main examination of the UPSC IAS Exam.

Origin and Course of Feni River

• It originates in the southern part of Tripura and flows through the Sabroom town. After completing its course in India, the river enters Bangladesh.
• The most significant tributary of this river is Muhuri, also known as Little Feni. It originates from Noakhali District in Bangladesh and joins Feni near its estuary.
• It is perennial up to 80 kilometres upstream, till Ramgarh for small boats, throughout the year.

To learn about the Major River Systems in India, candidates can visit the linked article.

Feni River Dispute and India-Bangladesh MoU

Feni flows through a significant part of the India-Bangladesh border, creating a years-old water sharing dispute. Unfortunately, there was a lack of formal agreement on this issue between these 2 countries till 2019.

However, India and Bangladesh conducted a Joint Rivers Commission’s water secretary-level meeting in Dhaka in August 2019 to resolve this issue. As a result, India’s Union Cabinet provided a retrospective approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bangladesh.

The cabinet decided in this MoU that India would withdraw 1.82 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from Feni. It resolved a crucial drinking water shortage issue in Sabroom town as its groundwater has high iron content. Consequently, more than 7,000 people could benefit from this implementation.

Aspirants can details about India and Bangladesh relations at the linked article.

Also, refer to the following links for exam preparation:

Feni River Dam

The Feni River Dam was constructed in 1985 to prevent floods by blocking Feni’s lower reaches, due to cyclones. In addition, it helped turn a sizable land suitable for cultivation. This dam was primarily built by manual labour to block the tidal part of the river.

Other Projects on Feni River

Authorities initiated the construction of a 150-metre long bridge with 4 lanes over Feni in December 2010. This bridge is a linkage between Sabroom (Tripura) and Ramgarh (Bangladesh). It connects the Chittagong port in Bangladesh, almost 70km off from the Indo-Bangladesh border with Tripura. Both the countries Prime Ministers came forward to lay down the foundation stone of this bridge.

The bridge was about to be ready in March 2020 with an approximate expenditure of ₹ 73 crores. Both countries’ prime ministers inaugurated this bridge named Maitri Setu on 9th March 2021 via video conference. The name Maitri Setu symbolizes a thriving alliance and bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh.

Riverian systems have always been essential to strengthening these countries’ economies for centuries. Therefore, the Feni River and its several projects are pivotal and play significant roles to improve India and Bangladesh’s economy and relationships.

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