Protest Tipaimukh Dam

UK MP Galloway calls for int'l Tipai probe

2009-12-03T18:01:00.000+07:00

Dhaka, Dec 02 (bdnews24.com)

Visiting British parliamentarian George Galloway on Wednesday called for an international enquiry into the probable environmental impact of India's proposed Tipaimukh Dam.

Galloway made the call at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium.

The MP said an international investigation was required on whether the dam has any negative effect on a section of both Bangladesh and Indian population.

He said the Tipaimukh Dam is not an issue that concerns only Bangladesh and India. As it has consequences on the climate and environment, it is an international issue, he added.

Galloway said a vast area of Bangladesh will experience drought in the dry season and flooding in the rainy season if the dam is constructed.

"I am not against India. I consider India to be a friend. My campaign is not against India," he said.

"India is a big country. Bangladesh is not. Not only Bangladeshi people, a section of Indian people will also be affected. Even the Indian expatriates in London protested … against the proposed dam," he said answering to a query.

Galloway said, as an MP in London, he is the representative of the 40,000 people of Sylhet there and it is his duty to see the advantages and disadvantages of these people, who will be victims of Tipaimukh dam.

"I am worried that, if the dam is built, the management system of the Surma basin will be seriously damaged. It can bring utmost danger for the Sylhet area," he said.

Galloway led a UK delegation and a huge Bangladeshi crowd on a march Sunday from Sylhet city to the border with India where the river Barak divides into the Shurma and Kushiara.

The march was arranged to draw global attention to the potentially devastating impact of the proposed dam on Sylhet and the entire north-eastern region of Bangladesh.

Along with George Galloway MP, the delegates include MP candidate from Respect for the upcoming UK election, councillors Abjol Miah and M Mamunur Rashid, and 17 other British representatives. They returned to Dhaka on Tuesday.

Galloway was an MP of the British Labour Party for a long time. He left the party protesting the UK government's role in Iraq war. Later, he was elected an MP from the British Respect party.

India’s Bloodless War against Bangladesh

2009-12-02T18:08:00.000+07:00

Sajjad Shaukat

Unlike the past wars, being fought through the traditional armies with tanks and machine guns, the arena of war has changed, encompassing all the spheres. In the modern era, electronics have made it difficult for the military to serve as the automatic dominant sphere in every war, covering all the land, sea and space domains. Now, war with non-lethal weapons can be more harmful in damaging the interest of a rival country or enemy. It will be conducted in non-war spheres, entailing non-military means and tactics as part of the new warfare.

New technology is being utilized by the new warriors to carry out all forms of financial, network and media attacks. Most of these attacks are of non-military-types, yet they can be completely viewed as equal to warfare actions. In other words, bloody warfare has been replaced by bloodless warfare as much as possible.

Judging in these terms, India’s plan for the construction of the Tipaimukh Dam, built on the river Barak is part of its most dangerous scheme of bloodless warfare, being conducted against Bangladesh in order to further harm all political, economic, financial and social spheres of that small country.

India had already started it bloodless war against Bangladesh when the latter had refused to serve as satellite state of New Delhi which had played a key role in the dismemberment of Pakistan. For this purpose, India constructed the Farakka dam on the Indian side of the Ganges River to stop flow of water to Bangladesh.

Despite the protest of Dhaka, Indian rulers used various delaying tactics to resolve the issue of Farakka dam. In this respect, Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) met many a times to settle the issue, but could not produce any positive results. In April, 1975, India assured that it would not operate feeder canal until a final agreement was reached between New Delhi and Dhaka on the sharing of Ganges water. Bangladesh was assured of getting 40,000 cusecs during the dry season.

After the assassination of Sheik Mujib’s on August 15, 1975, by availing the political unrest in Bangladesh, India violated the agreement (MOU) by stealing and diverting the full capacity of 40,000 cusecs of water. The matter was brought to the attention of UN General Assembly, which on November 26, 1976 adopted a consensus, directing the parties to arrive at a fair and expeditious settlement. On November 5, 1977 the Ganges Waters Agreement was signed, assuring 34,500 cusecs for Bangladesh. But the JRC statistics shows very clearly that Bangladesh did not get her due share during the subsequent years. After Sheikh Hasina was elected Prime Minister, she visited India and signed a treaty with her counterpart Deve Gowda on December 12, 1996. The treaty stipulated that below a certain flow rate, India and Bangladesh will each share half of the water. But New Delhi has continued violating the treaty by using more water of the river at the cost of Bangladesh. The JRC report of March 9, 2009 revealed that from 1999 to 2009, India intermittently reduced the water flow to Bangladesh.

A study conducted in the United States by Bridge and Husain, have identified Farakka as the root cause behind arsenic poisoning with groundwater in Bangladesh. A report of 2004 stated that over 80 rivers of Bangladesh dried up during last three decades due to the construction of the Farakka barrage by India. Some environmentalists have termed Farakka Barrage as the greatest man-made economic disaster of our time.

However, people of Bangladesh have been facing disastrous effects of the Farakka Barrage such as frequent flooding due to changes in the natural flow of the Ganges; river transportation problems during dry season; increased salinity threatening crops, animal life, drinking water and industrial activities; reduction in agricultural products and conversion of the fertile agricultural land in wasteland due to shortage of water.

While researchers have already been describing Farakka dam as the last of criminal calamity imposed by India on Dhaka, the proposed construction of Tipaimukh Dam in the neighboring Manipur state will prove as another Indian water-bomb on Bangladesh, giving a wake up call to the people in connection with its prospective dangers.

The Tipaimukh, a multipurpose hydel project on the Barak river is located about 200 km upstream of the border of Bangladesh, and where it is, recently, under attack in Bangladesh by opposition parties, students and environmental groups who have been protesting by saying that it could cause desertification, entailing other adverse effects like Farakka dam.

On December 16, 2006, India’s Union minister for industries laid the foundation stone of the Tipaimukh project. According to a source of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), the work in January of 2007 mainly dealt with underground drilling at the reservoir site of the project. The Brahmaputra Board, a wing of the Union water resources ministry, drilled those sites in 1997. This year, New Delhi is fully prepared to start building this dam by setting aside its impact on Bangladesh, while neglecting protests in this regard.

In July, this year, a 10-member all-party delegation of parliamentarians from Bangladesh reached Tipaimukh and studied the project site. Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Bandladesh’s delegation led by Abdur Razzaq, chairman of the standing committee of the parliament water resources held a meeting with Indian Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde who told the former that the Tipaimukh “project is not an irrigation project or a water diversion scheme, it is a hydel project and in no way will harm Bangladesh’s interest.” But in fact, just like the Farakka dam, Indian leaders have been verbally satisfying Dhaka by totally ignoring the drastic effects.

Some reports suggests that in connivance with the central authorities, the state government of Manipur kept all the documents relating to the Tipaimukh project in secrecy due to the reaction of Bangladesh. In this regard, even the proposed dam is unpopular in the Manipur State where it is being constructed. Barak river has been the source of livelihood for the Hmar people for the last many years and will affect the source of their livelihood once the Tipaimukh dam is erected. Hmar Students’ Union has strongly warned the authority against initiating any work without prior consent of the people of the areas to be affected by the dam. Nonetheless, villagers are feeling fear of losing their dwelling places along with their living ways?submerging some of the villages into the water.

Citizens’ Concern on Dam and Development (CCDD) has also warned the Indian authorities that if the construction of the dam is taken up without the consent of the people to be affected, they, with the support of other like-minded people, will block its construction under any circumstances.

Besides, damaging bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries, this new dam will especially target millions of Bangladeshis, snatching away their means of livelihood, forcing them to become internally displaced persons, and thereby worsening Bangladesh’s overall economy. No doubt, it will result in political, financial and social implications. In the modern era of technological innovations, Indian such a criminal act by the construction of the dam will amount to the consequences of a full-scale war, though bloodless in nature, but will make Bangladesh vulnerable to unemployment, shortage of products, reduction of resources, thirst, starvation and deaths including a number of inter-related problems of grave nature.

Bangladeshi people have already suffered miserably from the Farakka Barrage and cannot afford to see another one built to threaten them. In light of New Delhi’s previous records of dishonoring agreements on Farakka dam, Bangladesh, cannot trust on any new promise.

If India wants to meet energy needs of its people, it can better do so through its several nuclear power plants. As a matter of fact, India seems determined to erect Tipaimukh dam as part of its bloodless war against Bangladesh in order to affect millions of people adversely, and to destroy Bangladesh’s infrastructure without the use of a single bullet.

Best option for Dhaka is to cope this new style war of New Delhi through its own tactics of modern warfare. In this respect, demonstrations inside Bangladesh, contacts of their opposition leaders with the affected communities of Manipur, particularly abroad, organising protests in the US and Europe in cooperation with the environmentalists are essential for the survival of the country. All these efforts are likely to succeed with the help of media which has become an important tool of warfare, and can also be employed for defensive purposes. Such a reaction is necessary for Bangladesh to eliminate Indian bloodless war trap, forcing New Delhi to abandon the project.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations. Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

UK MP leads march against Tipai dam

2009-11-30T17:42:00.000+07:00

Dhaka, Nov 29 (bdnews24.com)

British MP George Galloway and a large delegation from Britain marched Sunday from Sylhet city to the Bangladesh border with India where the river Barak divides into the Shurma and Kushiara.

The British delegation along with a huge Bangladeshi crowd began the long-march towards the site of India's proposed Tipaimukh Dam in the morning. Border guards stopped them from crossing the border.

The march is arranged to draw global attention to the devastating potential impact of the proposed dam on Sylhet and the entire north-eastern region of Bangladesh.

"The potential impact on both depriving Sylhet of Vital Water and threatening serious Flooding make this a 'weapon of mass destruction' aimed at the heart of Sylhet and the people of Bangladesh," Galloway said.

Along with George Galloway MP, the delegates include MP candidate from Respect for the upcoming UK election, councillors Abjol Miah and M Mamunur Rashid, and 17 other British representatives.

Galloway has already met with the former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, former president and Jatiya Party chairman H M Ershad, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nijami and Sylhet mayor Badruddin Ahmed Kamran.

They will meet with the president Zillur Rahman and prime minister Sheikh Hasina this week.

The delegation will return to Dhaka on Dec 2, 2009 and will hold a press conference at Reporters Unity before their departure from Bangladesh.

Mir Ezaz Ali, secretary of Respect and campaign manager for Galloway MP, has been coordinating the event.

A DEATH-KNELL FOR BANGLADESH

2009-11-16T18:30:00.000+07:00

Kashmir Watch, Nov 14

By ALI SUKHANVER

Sylhet, the beautiful paradise of Bangladesh, is going to turn into a vast barren wasteland very soon. Located on the banks of the winding pair of rivers Surma River and Jaintia and surrounded by Khasi and Tripura hills, this city is situated in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh. The Sylhet region is well known for its tea gardens and tropical forests. The valley has good number of big natural depressions, called ‘haors’. During winter these haors are vast stretches of green land, but in the rainy season they turn into turbulent seas. These haors provide a sanctuary to the millions of migratory birds who fly from Siberia across the Himalayas to avoid the severe cold there. India has started the construction of the Tapaimukh on the Barrak River in Manipur State just 100 km off the Bangladesh border. It is likely to affect two major rivers of Bangladesh; Surma and Kushiarra which are life line for the Sylhet region. The Dam will be 390 meters long and 162.8 meters high. It will be at an altitude of about 180 meter above mean sea level with a maximum reservoir level of 178 meters. The construction of this dam has stirred a lot of fear in Bangladesh because the whole economic prosperity of Bangladesh depends upon the river system.

Since 1975 the sharing of river waters has been a bone of contention between India and Bangladesh. The construction of Farraka and Teesta barrage from India has already added salt to injury on the part of Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh has protested the construction of these two dams by calling it a violation of bilateral water sharing agreements between the two countries but the Indian government paid no heed to this hue and cry and started construction of the Tapaimukh dam. In the beginning the project was kept secret.

The people of Bangladesh came to know of this dam when in April 2009 the Indian Foreign Secretary visited Bangladesh and requested the government to send a delegation to visit the Dam site. Since then various political parties, environment groups, and people from Dhaka and Sylhet and other cities are in a state of protest against this construction.

The Dam was originally designed to contain flood waters in the lower Barrak valley, but hydro power generation was later incorporated. The project will have an installation capacity of 1500 MW and a firm generation of 412 MW. The Dam will permanently submerge an area of 275.50 square kilometers. Reportedly a pick up barrage is also being planned, 95 Km down stream of Dam site. Bangladeshi experts are of the opinion that the construction of Dam will disrupt the seasonal flow of river and will have an adverse effect on downstream agriculture and fisheries. Some experts fear the desertification of Sylhet region due to decrease of water flow in Meghna basin comprising River Surma, Kushiarra and Meghna. Majority of Bangladeshis are in anticipated fear of the probable damage that may be created after construction of Dam.

Not only in Bangladesh but also in India the construction of this dam is facing a very strong opposition. More than twenty influential social and political organizations in Manipur state have united under the banner of "Action Committee against Tapaimukh Project". These organizations have termed it as, "Water Bomb" due to its adverse effects on environment in Barrak Valley. It means that this dam is going to cause a lot of damage not only to the economy of Bangladesh but also to the people of the Manipur State. The politicians from Manipur are of the opinion that as a result of the construction of this dam about 286.20 Sq Km area will be submerged for ever. More than 40 thousands people will be rendered homeless. Eight villages situated in Barrak valley will be completely under water. More than 90 villages will be adversely affected. About 27,242 hectors of cultivable land will be lost.

The construction of the Tapaimukh Dam is being opposed by the People of Southern Assam also. Various social organizations in Southern Assam are opposing the construction of Dam due to devastating environmental impact on down stream Barrak basin. The Silchar based Society of Activist and Volunteer for Environments (SAVE) is leading the resistance movement against the construction of this dam in the Southern Assam.

People, civil society, NGOs and environmentalists of Bangladesh, Manipur and the Southern Assam have joined hand together against the construction of this dam. They are strongly criticizing the proposed constructions through seminars, rallies and demonstrations. The experts fear that construction of the Dam will affect the livelihood of about 50 million people spanning sixteen districts in Sylhet region and many more in Manipur and the Southern Assam.

Faced with public protests, the government of India has adopted a "wait and see" policy with several ministers citing Indian claims that dam would not be harmful to anyone. To pacify the people of Bangladesh a parliamentary delegation was invited to India in August 2009, to visit the dam site but the tour to the dam site was ironically cancelled due to bad weather.

The construction of the Tapaimukh Dam is nothing but an effort to convert Bangladesh into a desert by destroying its agricultural economy. We can say that the power luxury for India is a death question for Bangladesh.

Author is Pakistan based bilingual analyst on national and international strategic and defense affairs. Email: alisukhanver@hotmail.com

Tipai Dam protests to mark Bhasani's Long March

2009-10-24T16:30:00.000+07:00

Ehsanul Haque Jasim

Different organisations of the country are taking preparations to launch a massive movement on Tipaimukh Dam issue to voice their demand for stopping its construction to save vast areas of the country from desertification.

To mark the 29th death anniversary of legendary leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, which will be observed on November 17, some organisations will announce different programmes on Tipaimukh Dam issue in memory of his historic Farakka Long March.

On the occasion of his death anniversary, the Tipaimukh Dam issue will be discussed by organising seminars, roundtables, discussions and other programmes by different organisations.

In May 1976 Maulana Bhasani led a massive Long March demanding demolition of the Farakka Barrage constructed by India. It was the first people's movement against India on distribution of the Ganges's water.

Surma Kushiara Meghna Bachao Andalon, an organisation of people of 16 districts of northern-eastern portion of the country, will organise a rally at Muktagan in the city on October 15. From the rally, it will announce the schedule of movement on Tipaimukh Dam issue, informed its Member Secretary Md Selim Uddin.

He told this reporter that Maulana Bhasani played a leading role at a critical moment of the nation by raising his voice against Farakka Barrage. We will raise our voice against Tipaimukh Dam in the absence of a figure like Maulana Bhasani saying that he is the pioneer of movement against India.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) already announced a long march towards Tipaimukh Dam. Led by its chief Mufti Syed Rezaul Karim Pirsaheb of Charmonai, the long march will start from Dhaka on December 24.

IAB leaders and workers are now taking preparations to make success the long march.

Its central leader Shahidul Islam Kabir told The New Nation that already all the units of Sylhet Division of the party are working for making the long march successful. IAB will, anyhow, implement its announced long march on time in the interest of the country, said IAB joint secretary Prof ATM Hemayet Uddin.

In protest against the construction of the dam, the Sylhet unit of Jamaat-e Islami is taking preparations to hold a boat march on Kushiara river towards Tipaimukh Dam. Already it held a unique boat march on Surma river two months ago. Former Jamaat lawmaker Farid Uddin Chowdhury told this reporter the boat march on Kushiara will be held within a short time. We are taking preparation to hold the programme, he said.

Meanwhile, the units of leftist parties in Sylhet division are also planning to initiate programmes, sources said.

A three-day long march towards the dam was held from August 8 to 10 under the banner of Sylhet Division Development Action Council (SDDAC). The participants of the long march could not pass the border of Zakiganj due to police interception. At that time they announced a seven-day air march towards Delhi on January 8 to 15.

SDDAC president Advocate Abed Raza said that the air march programme will be implemented on time. "We will take visas from Indian High Commission to reach Delhi to participate at the air march," he said. He hoped that the government will help them to implement the programme.

Source:http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/10/24/news0569.htm

Tipai Dam to adversely affect country

2009-10-23T17:36:00.000+07:00

Jessore Correspondent

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday said the existence of Bangladesh would be threatened if the Tipaimukh Dam is constructed.

Jatiya Sartho Rakkha Forum Jessore branch organised the roundtable titled `Tipaimukh Dam of India: Bangladesh's Existence Threatened" at the Jessore Press Club.

Kazi Monirul Huda, member of the Forum moderated the roundtable while it was addressed, among others, by central vice president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) Rabiul Alam, ex-district secretary of AL Sharif Abdur Rakib, journalist Benjin Khan, Jamir Ahmed, Fakir Sawkat, Fakhre Alam, political leaders Aminul Kamal Rumi, Amjad Hossen and Mahidur Rahman Tutul.

The speakers at the programme said, the ecological and environmental situation of Bangladesh would be severely damaged if the Tipaimukh Dam is constructed. They underscored the need for unity to make India desist from constructing the dam.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/10/21/news0358.htm

Tipaimukh dam: IAB procession towards Indian HC intercepted

2009-10-20T18:39:00.000+07:00

Staff Reporter

Leaders of Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) yesterday said that at any cost they would resist the construction of Tipaimukh dam across the river Borak to save the country's vast area from desertification by forming strong mass movement.

Leaders of IAB said at a rally at Muktangan in the city before starting a procession towards Indian High Commission in Dhaka demanding stopping the construction of the dam.

IAB chief Mufti Syed Rzaul Karim Pirsaheb Chormonai attended the programme as chief guest. Its nayebe ameer Moulana Abdur Rashid Pirsaheb Barguna, presidium members Moulana Syed Musaddek Billah Almadani and Moulana Nurul Huda Foyezi, general secretary Moulana Yunus Ahmed, joint secretary Prof Mahbubur Rahman, city unit president Prof ATM Hemayet Uddin, central leaders Prof Syed Belayet Hossain, Moulana Ahmed Abdul Qaiyum and Sheikh Fazle Rabbi Masud, among others, addressed the programme.

When the procession reached Malibag, police intercepted and the procession could not reach its destination.

IAB chief said that the Indian government already completed all preparations to construct Tiaimukh dam at Monipur in India at the upper reaches of the rivers Surma and Kushiara violating the international law. However, we are committed to resist the construction of the dam, he added.

He called upon the citydwellers to the IAB long march programme towards Tipaimukh Dam on December 24.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/10/20/news0253.htm

Tipaimukh dam report handed to parliament

2009-10-11T18:15:00.000+07:00

Dhaka, Oct 7 (bdnews24.com)

A report on the all-party parliamentary team's fact-finding mission on Tipaimukh dam project site was presented in parliament on Wednesday.

Water resources ministry-related parliamentary standing committee chairman Abdur Razzak presented the eight-page report.

Razzak, a former water resources minister, said, "During low-altitude flight of the helicopter no structure came into the view of the team of representatives.

"No preparatory activity was seen to create any barrage or structure at the low-lying areas of the project. No physical work had started for the implementation of the project," he said.

The report said Indian foreign minister S M Krishna and power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde assured the representative team that there was no irrigation component under Tipaimukh project.

No barrage or irrigation structure will be constructed on the low end or anywhere else and no water will be taken from the Borak River, they had told the team.

"The project is only being implemented to create hydroelectricity and decrease the occurrence of floods. No structure for collecting water would be created in the low end of the project," the report quoted Indian officials as saying.

India's contentious dam project is planned to cross the Barak River, which enters into Bangladesh as the Surma and Kushiara rivers. The two rivers are lifeline for hundreds of water bodies in the greater Sylhet region of Bangladesh.

A 10-member representative team headed by Razzak visited India from July 29– Aug 04. But physical visit to the site in the northeastern Manipur state was not possible on July 31 and Aug 2 due to poor weather conditions.

Razzak said on return from India that the ministers had assured them that they would not implement any project to harm Bangladesh.

Main opposition BNP has been among the loudest critics of the proposed dam, although it failed to take up the offer of sending two MPs with the delegation to India.

The report discussed various studies conducted by Indian organisations and said, "There is no major change visible in the hydro-morphological aspect in the project area."

It says that the Indian authority has for the first time handed over a booklet with detailed information and data about the project to the team. And the foreign and power minister of India have promised to give any information or data about hydrology, topography, environment of the project if Bangladesh asks for.

The report mentioned constitution of a specialist committee to study the information and data about the project.

India had already said on a number of occasions the dam would not withhold water, but environmentalists and the people of Bangladesh, as well as Manipur state, remain concerned over the impact of the projected dam in vulnerable downstream areas.

PM stresses negotiation on Tipai dam issue

2009-10-11T18:12:00.001+07:00

Star Online Report

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today reiterated in the parliament that her government would not make any concession that may harm Bangladesh’s interests through construction of Tipaimukh dam by India.

Responding to a supplementary question from ex-Law Minister Abdul Matin Khasru, Hasina said the government has decided to constitute an expert committee to monitor the situation.

The prime minister expressed firm optimism that her government will settle the issue of Tipaimukh dam through discussion with India.

She said India assured the parliamentary delegation that visited the Tipaimukh-dam site that the dam was designed to produce hydroelectricity and reduce the intensity of floods.

“Instead of getting locked in arguments, we better resolve the problem through discussion. I’ve firm conviction that any problem could be resolved through discussion," she said.

"We had settled the Ganges water-sharing issue through negotiation with New Delhi and signed an agreement for 30 years on the sharing of waters of the Ganges. So I firmly believe that we can resolve any problem through negotiation.

"We already decided to form an expert committee on the issue and negations will also continue with India," she added.

Time yet to come to raise Tipai issue at UN : Razzak

2009-10-11T18:09:00.000+07:00

Staff Reporter

October 10, 2009

Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Water Resources Abdur Razzak yesterday said time has not yet come to raise the Taipaimukh Dam issue at the United Nations.

He made the observation while briefing reporters at the Media Centre in Sangsad Bhaban after a meeting of the Standing Committee.

"There is no need to go to the United Nations with the Tipaimukh issue," Abdur Razzak, said.

He said the Indian Prime Minister at a UN function in New York assured Bangladesh that they would not take any initiative that may be harmful to Bangladesh.

Besides, he said the Indian Foreign Minister and the Power Minister also gave assurances to the parliamentary team headed by him during its visit to New Delhi that India would not do anything which could affect Bangladesh.

Abdur Razzak said Indian side provided them information and data on the proposed dam and assured providing more information in future.

Asked to comment on the progress following the visit before three months, Razzak said they had to take time to submit reports of the team due to non-cooperation of the opposition. The report on the visit to Tipaimukh site was submitted before the House on October 7.

Razzak said the opposition lawmakers should join the session and speak on the issue if they have anything to say.

The report suggested formation of a special team which would work on the issue so that Indian government cannot do anything harmful for Bangladesh through the project in future.

Replying to a question, Abdur Razzak termed the Ganges Barrage project an appropriate step.

Emphasising the need for implementing the Ganges Barrage project he said Kushtia, Mathabhanga and Rajshahi irrigation projects would face serious impacts, if the barrage is not constructed.

He said the government is communicating with international agencies to mobilise funds for implementing the project.

The meeting was informed that connection between Rajbari and Sujanagar of Pabna has been selected as a possible site for the proposed Ganges Barrage project.

The project cost which was estimated at Tk 2,000 crore in 1996 would increase in present context.

Source: The New Nation: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/10/10/news0260.htm

Tipaimukh Dam: A threat to Bangladesh

2009-10-05T16:27:00.004+07:00

Prof M Aktarul Islam Chowdhury

Tipaimukh hydraulic dam (THD) to be constructed by our giant neighbor India in the upstream at a distance of 200km (direct distance 100 km) from Amalshid border of Jakigang of Sylhet district of Bangladesh followed by Fulertal Barrage in 100 km downstream of Tipaimukh dam and 100 upstream of Bangladesh border to divert the water to Indian Province Assam is a stern threat to the existence of Bangladesh hydrodynamically, geo-morphologically, geographically, tectonically-seismically, structurally, ecologically, bio-diversically, anthropologically, agriculturally, socially, culturally, economically, financially causing not only environmental hazard but also socio-economic and health risks to the mass people of Bangladesh from all walks of life .

Throughout the world, 263 trans-boundary (passed through more than one countries bordering geographically) rivers and lakes spread of which 57 trans-boundary rivers are located in Bangladesh of which 54 rivers are trans-boundary with India. About 45000 large dams extended over 140 countries of the world. India constructed more than 6000 dams of which more than 50 dams are constructed by our Giant Neighbor India on 35 trans-boundary rivers between Bangladesh and India without bothering Bangladesh, violating International River Laws and without any negotiation with downstream Bangladesh.

Dams in USA: A total of 75,000, including 6575 large dams; 2400 privately owned hydropower dams; no new large dams in recent years; 100s of dams removed since 1999; plan to remove about 10,000 dams by 2010.

Dams in India: As per CWC (1994), a total of 4291 large dams in operation (3159 in Maha, Guj, MP); over 50% constructed in 1971-90; a total of 695 dams under construction; 22 dams are being constructed in the north-eastern seven sister provinces of India.

India misuses all of these dams withdrawing unlimited waters in up-stream violating international laws and signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), agreements, treaties between the trans-boundary countries. Consequently environment of Bangladesh are at the extreme risks.

Recently Tipaimuk dam on the Barak being constructed by India is the threat to the existence of Bangladesh in the train of environmental havoc and disaster to lean the bio-diversity and wetlands of north-eastern Bangladesh specially in the Sylhet basin.

History of India with Bangladesh is not optimistic rather crucial, and ironic due to illogical withdrawal of water from Ganges in dry season violating conditions of signed treaty & international laws and again flooding Bangladesh releasing gigantic amount of water opening all the gates of Farakka dam in rainy season. Same is the case between India and Nepal.

Bangladesh will face a lot of problems specially in dry seasons in the form of desertification and the severe flooding in the rainy seasons due to release of huge amount of water for the last three decades.

An ironic, sarcastic and double-crossing man-made river-killer Tipaimukh dam by Giant Neighbor Iindia to kill the mighty rivers, streams and canals; dry up haors, swamps and other wetlands of its North-eastern region of Bangladesh.

Features of Tipaimukh Dam: the construction on the river Barak will be completed in 2011; it is rock dam located at the village of Tipaimukh; the THD is being constructed with an objective of holding water, generating 1500 MW electricity, flood control, and irrigation; cost is about 9000 Indian Rupees; length of the dam 390 m, breadth 162.8 m and height 178 m located at 108 m above the sea level storing 16 bcm water.

Environmental impacts of the dam will include: Increase the frequency of very large and small floods; Severity of flash flood in pre-monsoon due to the heavy rainfall in the hilly region due to the instantaneous release of water; Devastating Floods in rainy season due to the release of surplus water in every year .

Decrease of water flow in Surma-Kushiara-Kalani-Meghna; Extreme low flow in of Surma-Kushiara-Kalani-Meghna during dry season after commissioning are expected to low as 10% of the flow of before dam construction. If Fulertal barrage is constructed, water availability in Surma-Kushiara will be severely threatened.

Siltation in the river beds of Surma-Kushiara-Kalani-Meghna due to suppression of sediment flow.

Possible morphological change of Surma-Kushiara-Kalani-Meghna causing change in the river course by probable severe earthquake of Richter scale greater than 8 due to dam failure in the earthquake prone area of Tipaimukh and redistribution of water flow, siltation etc.

Change in water quality (turbidity, dissolved gases, minerals, metals etc.) of Surma-Kushiara-Kalani-Meghna.

Ultimate killing of the rivers in downstream Bangladesh; THD will kill the rivers Surma, Kushiara, Kalani, Meghna and their tributaries and distributaries.

Desertification and hydrological draughtness in seven districts Sylhet, Moulavibazar, Sunamgang, Habigang, Kishorgang, Netrokona & Brahmanbaria at the first stage; . Desertification and draughtness cause the disticts of Narshingdi, Munshigang, Narayangang, Comilla, Chandpur, Shariatpur, Lakhmipur. Barishal at the long term. Desertification and hydrological draughtness will be more severe if Fulertal Barrage is constructed.

Salinity intrusion in the new areas and increase in salinity in existing saline zone of lower Meghna due to the suppression of freshwater flow specially in dry season that will advance to upstream day by day causing severe crisis in water use in drinking, domestic and agricultural purpose, reducing soil fertility affecting crop production; saline water will reach to Sylhet within 15 years of commission of dam.

Loss of fertility of the soil causing severe declination of crops, fruits etc.

Reduction of wetland in haor areas dropping fresh water, curtailing fish due to food shortage, disappearance of migratory birds, dying trees, herbs, shrubs among others.

Harsh effects on swamp forest of haor area leading to loss of animal, plant, birds, reptile and fish biodiversity and ultimate destruction of swamp forest in wetlands.

There will be severe effects in river navigability of Surma-Kushiara-Kalani-Meghna shrinking potential water transport route; reduce the production of paddy and vegetables in north-eastern Bangladesh; cause destruction of fish habitats in rivers, streams and canals leading to tremendous reduction in the availability of fresh water fishes effecting aquatic ecology severely.

It will also cause deterioration of ecosystem (both terrestrial and aquatic); Decrease of growth rate in all species; Plankton, flora and fauna will be under serious stress; decrease of groundwater recharge (one-third/fourth of GW recharged by rain water and rest by flood water, if water flow is reduced by 30 to 50%, normal flood will be disappeared hampering GW recharge) severely; affect forest bio-diversity decreasing the forest of both of the plain land and hilly areas ; Ultimately forests will be destructed. It will increase the probability of disaster in downstream Bangladesh if the dam collapses due to any kind of failure and extremely large down-flow stored water; aeriously affect irrigation for Boro production at late rainy season when water flow will stop. Again if water flow increases by 110% in winter, it will affect boro paddy and vegetables causing food crisis.

The risk of earthquake will increase due to the Tipaimukh dam on the seismic fault line of three tectonic plates. In 1897, Shilong earthquake of 8.7 scale changed the river course of Bramahputra. Tipaimukh will provide 500 feet deep reservoir that will exert more pressure of 160 ton per square meter that will increase the earthquake risk tremendously.

The dam will adversely affect the social life of north-eastern region of Bangladesh specially Sylhet region and lead to loss of livelihoods and habitats of a large number of families.

Bangladesh is already under threat of climate change due to the continuous emission of GHG by the fossil fuel from the industries of the USA - the largest industrialized country of the world, China - the most populous country of the world, India - the mighty Giant neighbor of Bangladesh.

If the Tipaimukh impacts are added the problems already aggravated by the Farakka barrage in the Western and South-western parts of Bangladesh would further worsen.

Things that need to be done on an urgent basis include: Effective bilateral negotiation, common understanding and mutually benefited collaboration through realistic and practicable (that can be implement) water sharing of trans-boundary rivers in black and white (not in paper and agreement only) playing intelligent , tactful and diplomatic role in Bangladesh-India Joint River Commission (JRC) from Bangladesh part like the Indus River between India and Pakistan and many neighboring countries of the world.

Presenting the research study based data by experienced and real expert groups in the JRC meeting with strong arguments, reasons, clues and points etc.

Members of the expert group should be selected from expertise specialists and renown researchers of the specific fields.

Significant number of prior studies to assess the actual scenario of the trans-boundary rivers at the crucial and strategic points applying proper technology and knowhow, economic feasibility, financial viability and equi-participation from all walks of life of the society as well as the scientific and authentic study for flow data, water level data of river, water level data of groundwater incorporated with latest sophisticated ultrasonic mechanism, advanced computer modeling and information technology, before going to JRC meeting.

Academicians, researchers, experts as well as engineers should come forward to raise and open the adverse environmental, socio-economic and health impacts of Tipaimukh in the daily life, life of people in the north-eastern region specially Sylhet basin.

Engineers, experts and technologists should explain hydrodynamic, geo-morphological, geographical, tectonic, seismic, structural, ecological, bio-diversical, anthropological, agricultural, social, cultural, economical threats of Tipaimukh the people of all walks of life for effectively supporting the Government on the issue .

Lawyers, all type of environmentalists, Civil society, media men (both of print and news media), teli-media, teachers community, intellectuals, social workers, NGOs, public representatives such as parliament members/mayor and counselors of city corporations and municipalities/ chairmen and members of Union Councils should come forward and create awareness among the masses.

The government should the raise the trans-boundary issues like Farakka, and specially the crucial trans-boundary issue if Tipaimukh at international forums such as the UN with the collective efforts and proper cooperation of the opposition.

Bangladesh Government should handle the trans-boundary river issues like Tipaimukh issue very tactfully to realise the interest of the country.

In addition to all kinds of Government initiatives the private sector, NGOs, media groups, civil society, academia, research organizations, experts, intellects, and specialists of trans-boundary arena should raise their voice. The Government should play vital role inside the country as well as in bilateral joint river commission and multilateral and international forums.

(The writer is the senior-most faculty and head, civil and environmental engineering department Shah Jalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, E-mail: aic_cee @ yahoo.com)

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/10/05/news0901.htm

Efforts on to intensify movement on Tipaimukh issue

2009-10-03T16:52:00.000+07:00

New Nation Report

Remaining silent for some days on account of the holy Ramadan, The people of the greater Sylhet region are taking preparation under the banner of different organisations to intensify movement on the Tipaimukh Dam issue. For this they are chalking out a number of programmes that include boat race in the river of Kushiara.

The Sylhet unit of Bangladesh Jamat-e-Islami (JI) will organise the boat march program as a mark of protesting the construction of a dam at Tipaimukh, Monipur, India over river Borak. The party had already gave a dress rehearsal of the unique program in river Surma passing through Sylhet in which the chief of BJI Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami was present.

Former MP Principal Fariduddin Chowdhury said, the boat march will take place in the middle of October. All the top leaders of the party will participate. Besides, Sylhet Division Development Action Council had already organised various programmes on the issue. It propelled a 'Long March' in August, ending near Zakiganj border.

Advocate Abed Reza, President of the organisation said, they favour tougher movement in order to draw international attention. 'Unless India does not stop the construction work, we shall continue our movement,' added Abed Reza. Further, the expatriates from Sylhet have expressed their solidarity with any action that serves the interest of the people of Sylhet vis-a-vis the country.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/10/03/news0695.htm

Tipaimukh Dam, a potential seismic bomb for South Asia

2009-10-03T16:50:00.001+07:00

In the light of findings of Sichuan earthquake, seismic vulnerability, tectonic plate formation and the presence of geological faults, the Tipaimukh Dam is technically and financially not viable. In this scenario, pursuing a project blindly would be not only sheer waste of public money but also a potential seismic bomb for the region,

writes Arshad H Abbasi

The earthquake that rocked north-eastern India on September 22, which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale and was of a reasonably long duration, was the fifth in the past 40 days. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, north-eastern India is bracketed in the highest seismic zone of South Asia, where the three Eurasian, Indian, and Myanmar tectonic plates collide in a subduction mechanism. With this unique tectonic setting and coupled with massive geo-tectonic movements recorded during the past several years, geo-scientists have placed this region in the most fragile zone in the seismic map of the continent. North-eastern India has experienced some of the most devastating earthquakes during the past hundred years. Statistics shows that between 1897 and 1952, there were 44 earthquakes that measured 6.5 or more on the Richter scale. Similarly, between 1953 and 1992, the region had 21 earthquakes of similar intensity. Ignoring the geological and seismic vulnerability and recent warning of the rapid melting of the Himalayas, India is going for a 162.8-metre high dam on the river Barak of north-eastern India, with a storage capacity of 15,900 million cubic metres.

Besides this seismic vulnerability with its hidden dangers of a massive dam break, it has also sparked another serious controversy on water sharing between India and Bangladesh in relation to the Farakka Barrage conflict. India is taking advantages of its regional hegemony and geo-position as upper riparian, causing colossal damage to the Bangladeshi agro-economy by unilateral and disproportionate diversion of the Ganges water by the barrage. The case of the Tipaimukh dam is, however, different from the Farakka Barrage, as it would have a huge storage reservoir.

The geological constraints of the dam site have been reported by Dr Soibam Ibotombi of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Manipur, India. According to the report, the tectonic features of the dam site have developed geological faults and fractures that might undergo strike-slip and extensional movements if loaded with the weight of the dam alone. Therefore, these geological faults could be further displaced with accelerated rate by any moderate and large earthquakes and if the dam axis is displaced by a few centimetres a massive disaster leading to huge loss of lives and property in downstream areas could occur.

Putting all seismic and geological constraint aside, no heed is being paid to the protest of local communities and lower riparian Bangladesh and completely ignoring the UN convention on international watercourses. The enormous weight, about 15.9 billion tonnes of water, would bear on the substrata of the dam site could not have been taken into consideration, as scientists today have identified more than 100 cases of earthquakes triggered by reservoirs.

The most serious precedence of dam or reservoir-induced seismicity is the 7.9-magnitude Sichuan earthquake in May 2008, linked to the construction of the Zipingpu Dam. The case of Sichuan earthquake was presented at the American Geophysical Union and, findings also published in the Chinese Geology and Seismology Journal. The devastating earthquake killed 68,000 people and left about 11 million people homeless. China is spending $146.5 billion to rebuild areas ravaged by the earthquake. In a recent study, it was found that the Zipingpu Dam project was the cause of this devastation. Earthquakes were very unusual for the area as no previous seismic activities were ever recorded.

The Indian authorities ought to remember that triggered by an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude caused because of the filling of a dam flattened the village of Koynanagar in Maharashtra, western India, on December 11, 1967, killing around 180 people, injuring 1,500 and rendering thousands homeless. The dam was seriously damaged and power cut off to Bombay, causing panic among its populace, who felt the quake 230 kilometres from its epicentre. The epicentre of the tremor and numerous fore and aftershocks were all either near the Koyna Dam or under its reservoir.

At a seminar on ‘water dispute in South Asia’, held in Dhaka on August 18-19, in which the water resources secretary of the Bangladesh government disclosed that the Tipaimukh dam was conceived in 1955 but the then erstwhile Pakistani government never agreed to its construction. But, immediately after the independence of Bangladesh, the Indian prime minister rushed to Dhaka to set the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission and in the very first meeting of the commission, India informed Bangladesh of the Tipaimukh project. And, since the same meeting Bangladesh continuously has been asking India for data on the Tipaimukh Dam project. However, the Indian authorities did not share any study report or design on the dam. This attitude of India shows that there is no technical or scientific study detail behind the theoretically redundant project to share with all stakeholders except agenda to impose its hegemony over South Asia.

The height of the Zipingpu dam is 150 metres and total weight of filled water was 1.12 billion tonnes, thirteen times less than the proposed capacity of the Tipaimukh Dam. Above all, its sub-geological features were more stable than those of the Tipaimukh dam site. In the light of findings of Sichuan earthquake, seismic vulnerability, tectonic plate formation and the presence of geological faults, the Tipaimukh Dam is technically and financially not viable. In this scenario, pursuing a project blindly would be not only sheer waste of public money but also a potential seismic bomb for the region. The objective of a dam which is to control floods and provide hydroelectric power generation could also be achieved by adopting alternative methods.

There is no doubt that frequency and intensity of floods are on the rise in the region but its root cause is massive deforestation, compounded with rapid population growth and uncontrolled development in Brahmaputra Basin. Because of increased warming of the Himalayas, the solution to floods in the Basin lie in integrated watershed management. This would necessitate immediate afforestation to increase vegetative cover and coupled with rainwater harvesting techniques it could achieve the same objective with less investment and above all without disturbing the ecology of a fragile and fractured region. Similarly, hydro electric power could be generated by run-of-river option requiring minimal water pondage. Indian authorities need to shelve Tipaimukh dam project immediately to avert the lurking danger of a massive earthquake in the region.

Arshad H Abbasi is a visiting research fellow at the SDPI-Islamabad and conducted research on earthquake 2005 with collaboration of the University of Zurich Switzerland-Southern. ahabasi@gmail.com

Communities Say No to India's Tipaimukh High Dam

2009-09-29T19:01:00.002+07:00

by Dr. R.K. Ranjan Singh

The proposed Tipaimukh High Dam would dam the Barak River 500 meters downstream from the confluence of its tributary the Tuivai River in Manipur State. More than half of the 900-kilometre-long Barak falls within India; its lower half drains Bangladesh. The Barak system is the second largest drainage system in Northeast India. The entire riverine ecosystem of the Barak River Basin supports an endemic agrarian civilization thriving on biodiversity-based agro-ecological systems that have profound local and global significance.

The 163-meter-high Tipaimukh Dam will permanently submerge more than 275 sq km of land. The project is expected to have firm power generation of 412 MW. Almost none of its power will be sent to the state where the dam will be built.

There is no complete study that focuses on geo-tectonic problems or biodiversity and environment, health, socio-economic and hydrological impacts of the project. The absence of meaningful consultation with the indigenous peoples contradicts the keystone strategic priority developed by the World Commission on Dams, that no dam should be built without the demonstrable acceptance of the affected people, and without the free, prior, informed consent.

History of Resistance

Communities from Manipur have resisted Tipaimukh High Dam for more than 15 years. Resistance began because the people of Manipur had seen the devastating impact of Loktak Hydroelectric Project. This project has been the single biggest reason why local people question the new project. Any person who is aware of Loktak will tell you how it has submerged large tracts of agricultural lands; ousted large number of farmers from their livelihood without compensation, thus reducing self-sufficiency in rice production, and devastated a fragile wetland ecosystem. This has further made Manipur more economically dependent on mainland India, which is just the opposite of the promises made when the project was conceived. The people of Manipur are now fully aware that Manipur gets little electricity from the project.

The struggle against Tipaimukh is not restricted to Manipur state, but is also in Bangladesh too, where the immediate impact of the dam will be felt. The dam could also impact watersheds and ecosystems in northern Burma.

In addition, we are now waking up to the fact that two other dams in the area, Mapithel and Khuga dams, also deceived the people with promises that have not yielded any result. Now we see how wrong decisions made in the past can create havoc for our future.

Tipaimukh was not conceived and designed for the people of Manipur, or for that matter for the people of India's northeast region. It was initially designed to control floods in lower Assam, and then to generate electricity for the Indian state-owned utility NEEPCO for sale outside the region. For all these years the dam builders have not informed or consulted the people, especially those who will be directly impacted. The dam is not based on local requirements, but is imposed from above, to serve unknown economic interests. An issue of consent is a must when they want to bring in a project of such magnitude that will submerge villages, fertile agricultural land, forests, and not even meet local needs. Local organizations have also proposed alternatives, including smaller, less destructive dams.

Flawed Resettlement Plan

If constructed, the dam will have negative impacts on 9,126 sq km in the state of Manipur alone. A large number of indigenous communities, mostly belonging to the Zeliangrong and Hmar peoples, will be permanently displaced and deprived of their livelihood. One should be aware that these affected areas are almost half of the present size of Manipur. A small state like Manipur cannot afford to bargain away an area of this size for a tiny bit of electricity. We must look for alternative source of energy where it has least impact on land. We have already had 60,000 hectares of agricultural land submerged due to Ithai Dam alone. For our food security we cannot afford to lose any more land.

If one looks closely at the project's proposed resettlement and rehabilitation plan, it is clear that they have not taken into account intergenerational concerns. For example, rice fields cannot be compensated at today's market price only, as it is done by NEEPCO. For we all know that a plot of land has benefited both the generation in the past and will serve our future and cannot be assessed for the present market value only. Such shortsighted compensation will only create impoverishment and hardship for those displaced. A more important issue is the close link of indigenous peoples to their land, water, forest and their culture. Any sizeable loss of land is loss of the community itself.

As known elsewhere, dams have created or accentuated ethnic conflict. Here, too, there are already divisions along ethnic lines that can have longterm implications for all peoples. In an already fractured place such as this, it is imperative that the state does not allow projects that widen the ethnic divide. In addition, conflict with other states and also with Bangladesh as a result of the dam cannot be ruled out and will need to be addressed before agreeing to the project.

We are also aware that the construction of large dams brings in laborers from outside the region. We are witness to that the fact that outsiders have come to work for Loktak hydro project and other dams, and that these workers have stayed after the work is done, putting pressure on local communities and natural resources. A massive project like Tipaimukh will bring in more than 30,000 workers from outside and it is certain that these outsiders will cause issues for local people.

The site selected for Tipaimukh project is one of the most seismically active in the entire world, recording at least two major earthquakes of 8+ on the Richter scale during the past 50 years. The proposed dam site falls on an active fault line. Several large earthquakes have been recorded near the Tipaimukh site.

The people who have fought the dam have used all democratic means possible to seek the government of India to stop the dam. Memorandums and letters by the score, rallies, sit-in protests, blockades, strikes, press releases, meetings, leaflets, and email campaigns have all been used. Five public hearings conducted by the government have been boycotted. But these all went into the dustbin of the government. One wonders what it would take for the government to listen to the people, and stop the dam. We must insist that Tipaimukh is not an answer to the energy crisis that we presently face. If the government is sincere enough to solve this crisis then it must right away say no to this destructive project, and initiate a people-inclusive

Bangladesh and India: Will the Dams “Damage “the Relationship?

2009-09-26T17:55:00.002+07:00

Environmentalists and academics called for greater movement nationally and internationally to resist what he called "the conspiracy to India to" build the dam without Tipaimukh share information with Bangladesh. They also criticized the role of government in its relations with India on water issues. India has neither the flow of water in the Ganges guaranteed by the Treaty of the Ganges, or the information shared in the Tipaimukh dam, which is a pure violation of the treaty.

Protests at the Farakka Barrage, first in 1965 led to war between India and Pakistan, but in 1975, Bangladesh, in good faith, agreed that his friend, India "test-run", its channel food for fourteen days. India, Bangladesh to ensure that the actual operation will start after an agreement was signed outlining the terms of the transaction and the amount of water. The rest is a history of noncompliance of India, causing desertification in many rivers in Bangladesh. Then go to India to build the dam Tipaimukh ignoring the protests in Manipur and Bangladesh, because it threatens the north-eastern section of the country.

Not so, faith and friendship, to be compromised? So why India is so obsessed with their dam projects? In April 2001, David Barsamian, director of Alternative Radio in Boulder, Colorado Arundhati Roy interviewed and this is what he said, "the myth of big dams is something that is sold from the time they are three years in any book of school text.

Nehru said: "Dams are the temples of modern India", the dam will serve breakfast in bed, he will marry his daughter and the healing of his jaundice. People must understand that they are only monuments to political corruption, and shoot the very undemocratic political institutions. Only centralize natural resources, to grab people, and then decide that you will get.

When I wrote "The Greater Common Good", what shocks me more than the numbers there are numbers that do not exist. The Indian government has no estimate of how many people have been displaced by large dams. The reason there are no such figures is that most people are still non-displaced people, the Adivasis and Dalits. India will not cut his people. It kills people who refuse to move. He's just waiting it out.

She continues to do what you have to do and ignore the consequences. Due to the caste system, due to the fact that there is no social bond between those who make decisions and those who suffer the decisions, just go ahead and do what they want.

People also assume that is their fate, karma, what was written. It's all an effective way of doing things. Therefore, India has a very good reputation in the world as a democracy as a government that cares, that is simply too much in their hands, whereas, in fact, create real problems. "- (www. progressive. Org).

The book is a revelation for people to understand the system in India, corruption, the link with the World Bank funds atrocious and the international community that is undertaking projects to rob the poor to give to the rich. Tipaimukh dam is no exception to this system. Now I would like to present an example of how the arrogant attitude of "government" against a requirement of the "governed" violence begets.

The terrorism of the first water Kunta Lahiri-Dutt and Robert J. Wasson has a chapter on regional policy water distribution written by Douglas Hill. In 1976, the central government of India has taken a decision to adjust the amount of water must be available for each state. Buenos Aires disagreed and filed a case before the Supreme Court cast doubt on its validity.

Meanwhile, the construction of 112 km Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal began in 1982 to divert water to farmers in Rajasthan and Haryana in the south (khurana2006). Construction was immediately rejected by the Punjab unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Shriomani Akali Dal (SAD). Section SAD protest finally returned to the violent riots and terrorism, culminating in the events of 0peration Blue Star in Amritsar in 1984 (when Indira Gandhi had ordered the slaughter of hundreds of Sikh separists) and probably led to his assassination in 0ctober.

The new Prime Minister Rajib Gandhi and Akali Dal leader Singh Longowal Harcha met in 1985, established a tribunal under Justice Eradi reconsider the appropriate allocation of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. The results of this court has been questioned by the Punjab in 1987, arguing that enough water to cover the recommended allocation was not available.

The violence has forced the closure of this court in 1988 and the construction of the section of Punjab SYL canal ceased in 1990. public hearing in 1997 and reinstated the decision in favor of Haryana, in 2004. The political crisis and the Punjab Government has adopted a law that supersedes all previous agreements regarding the sharing of Ravi and Beas (khurana2006) - (COM Google.) India have a lesson from Governments? works closely with the "mother" of the system to do its dirty work. Chetan Bagat in his book "The 3 mistakes in my life" describes "Mama", an ambitious, but all premises to climb the ladder of "Power".

He asks his political guru to get a ticket for the election. Guru's mother reported that ambitious people like him are held in the party and how good he is and has committed (Mama) to reach the next level, should do work that was focused on him. Mamas India ", as for operations.

Mamas, on behalf of India, bribed officials to make the temporary regulation with promises that 10-12% of electricity will be given free and the rest will be given to NEEPCO for distribution to other states. Do other states do not require the same treatment? Along with the concerns of the citizens "of the dam and Development (CESD) and environmentalists do not worry about this temporary settlement and continue with the protest and whether Marxist and Maoist insurgents have joined there is a strong possibility that the protests could become violent agitation.

How India contain this violence? What would world reaction to this? Bangladesh will be under pressure to help India? And now Bangladesh. India without the moral support of Bangladesh military and then the Soviet Union (Russia) could not have seen the Liberation War. During the liberation of India was targeted to help groups of the Awami League (Mama factor) while other political groups have worked together to achieve the common goal of independence. The former foreign secretary, the late Mr. JN Dixit in his remarks to the Foreign Affairs Committee, said: "We helped in the liberation of Bangladesh on mutual interest, which was not a favor.

He said that 90% of the problems could be resolved if Bangladesh has exported gas to India. Subsequently, India made a list of other articles, at the request of Bangladesh. Friendship is an ordeal. In addition, (1) India is ignoring paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Dublin Principles, 1992. paragraph 2, provides for the development and management of water should be based on a participatory approach involving all users, planners and policy makers and Article 3 states that women play a key role in the provision, management and water protection. (2) India has never accepted the proposal to discuss with Nepal to resolve the problems in Bangladesh because of Farakka Dam. Why India is acting so mysteriously?

The Bangladesh team, Parliament was invited to visit Manipur be able to find solutions? The correct answer is NO. In the absence of full details of India and the Agency for financing and subsequent analysis by local experts from the three countries, free from political influence, the team would not be capable of distinguishing the controversial points.

Instead, it is feared that the name of Bangladesh being used politically to pressure Manipur and Mizoram. What is the solution? Here are my responses in four steps: (1) Advocate Harun ur Rashid start building Pangsha Ganges Dam (90 miles west of Dhaka) to offset the negative effects of the dam Farraka. (Ref: Daily Star, 31 May 2008).

It was conceived in 1963 and again in 1984 and after the feasibility report of 1997, the river of the Mixed Commission has approved. Immediate steps should be taken to implement the following expert from Bangladesh should conduct another study to build another similar dam in the region of Sylhet to offset the effect Tipaimukh dam. Only after reaching an agreement with India for the construction of two dams, if our government intends to cooperate with India. (2) Dr. Aiun Nishat suggests that positive politics, mutual understanding and the prime ministers of India and Bangladesh should be involved. (Ref: NewAge Xtra June 12.2009). (3) In the three states, the participation of women must be ensured and that their views recorded and taken into consideration. (4) fully support the suggestions, not from Bangladesh residing in Los Angeles, sent to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through the consul general, it is recommended that a team of five countries to be trained: Bangladesh, India, China, Nepal and Myanmar to find the correct solution (. Ref: zshare. memorandum to Sheikh Hasina net/audio/616901121db0d245/Huda reading).

Regardless of the Conference of NAM, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh confirmed to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that India did not take any action that might affect the relationship. Earlier in an exclusive interview with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said: "I sincerely believe that a strong and prosperous Bangladesh is in the fundamental interests of India." (Ref.: Daily Star, Nov. 15.2005). Leave the Honorable Prime Minister to demonstrate his intentions. Sonia Gandhi would be great if it also has a keen interest and joined Mr. Singh in this adventure. I think in Bangladesh India's relations improved.

21 Tipai Dam protesters held in Manipur

2009-09-24T18:20:00.001+07:00

Staff Reporter

At least twenty-one social workers who have been waging movement against the construction of Tipaimukh Dam have been arrested in "false cases", it is alleged. Some organisations in Manipur have alleged that the arrested persons are being tortured in custody, according to BBC monitored yesterday evening.

BBC Kolkata correspondent says, these protesters were involved in anti-Tipaimukh dam movement and movement against false encounter. Many leaders of the anti-Tipaimukh Dam project have gone into hiding to avert arrest. Police say various cases, including treason under the Indian Penal Code have been filed against them.

Some Civil Society Leaders told the BBC that local leaders including Jiten Bikramjit have been arrested, with a view to destroying the anti-Tipaimukh Dam movement.

Leaders of anti-Tipaimukh Dam movement have sent protest letters to international forums.

A protest meeting was held yesterday in Imphal, capital of Manipur where effigies of the state chief minister, Indian prime minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were burned.

Another protest meeting is due to be held in New Delhi today (Thursday).

Source: http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=143043

Tipaimukh water bomb a curse for Barak-Surma basin

2009-09-12T18:07:00.002+07:00

Faisal Rahim

When the Indian environmental activist groups in the states of Assam and Monipur are fighting back terming the Tipaimukh dam project a 'water bomb' sure be a "living curse for the inhabitants of the Barak-Surma basin", Bangladesh's ministers and policy makers are describing it as even beneficial to the nation.

The Bangladesh parliamentary team that visited Tipaimukh dam site early this month gave a clean certificate to the Indian government's move on the dam issue saying that the Indian government ministers have given them assurance that Delhi would not do anything harmful to Bangladesh.

The team leader Abdur Razzak MP praised the Indian government for sharing "important" documents that were not made available earlier. He pointed out that all available data and information suggest that the dam construction is all but a fight in the air.

"India isn't building dam"!

"Moreover no construction was visible in the site from the aerial view that suggests India is not building the dam", he said.

Some government ministers are even making statements saying the dam may be beneficial to Bangladesh and hence people here should ignore the opposition parties' call to create public awareness about it and fight back the issue locally and in international forum.

But the latest news report tells different stories. A report in a national daily last week said Indian government has passed the responsibility of building the dam to its Eastern army command.

Army to construct

The report detailed which military wing is working on implementing the project, which one worked on the design, which army unit is providing security to the dam site. It also named the military authorities which supervised an ecological survey to determine the extent of damage and geo-physical change that the dam may hit in the region.

The report further said that a high power meeting of Indian military and civil bureaucracy was held in Delhi on June 20 last to coordinate the activities relating to the dam project and evolving strategy on how to run public relations campaigns to counter protest against the dam which is increasingly growing in the Indian northeast and also in Bangladesh.

On the public campaign issue, the meeting left it with a special group to mobilize the civil society organizations both in India and Bangladesh to the support of the mega project.

Bangladesh govt.'s weakness

The recent visit of six editors of national dailies from Dhaka to Delhi may be viewed from that background.

The Delhi meeting also underlined the fact that since India has a friendly government in place now in Dhaka, it should take immediate steps to begin construction of the dam to exploit the weakness of the Bangladesh government and the silence of its front line organizations.

This is one side of the story which tells how the Indian government is blackmailing its friends in Dhaka in one hand and mobilizing the project under the supervision of its Eastern Army Command on the other.

News report said the ecological report on the dam which the Indian army has prepared, said that a total of 288.60 sq kilometers area would go under water in the Borak valley following the construction of the dam.

Crippling impact on Bangladesh

The Indian local environmental activist groups are therefore opposed to the dam as it is becoming a looming threat to the existence of local communities and their livelihood although big capitals and construction companies will benefit from it as also the Indian geo-politics will emerge as a winner on its close neighbour Bangladesh having crippling environmental impacts on its agriculture and environment.

Indian local environmental groups say they can not sit idle because of its hazardous impact on them and sought the cooperation of Bangladesh on the issue. The Silchar-based Society of Activists & Volunteers for Environment (SAVE) recently presented a memorandum opposing the construction of the Tipaimukh dam to Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata. The memorandum dwelt on the devastating environmental impact of the dam on downstream Borak basin in general and Bara Valley in particular which also include areas covering Bangladesh.

The memorandum was originally addressed to the Bangladesh parliamentary team that visited the project site but failed to land in the area because of bad weather. So the organizers pushed the memorandum to its leader through the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.

Dr. Parthankar Choudhury, President of SAVE and its secretary Pijush Kanti Das in the memorandum drew the attention of the Bangladesh parliamentary team to the looming danger from the proposed dam. They expressed their deep concern about the impact of the dam in the upstream of the Barak river. They termed it a 'water bomb' at Tipaimukh and said people in the region are resisting the move holding growing protests at various level and places. They said such protests are taking place in Manipur and in the Barak Valley of Assam, besides lot such protest in Bangladesh.

SAVE's demand

They said all such actions should be purely viewed from environmental and human points and those who want to ignore it should be dealt with severely. The memorandum said the SAVE people belong to the school of thought which "think globally and act locally" and sought to work jointly with Bangladesh in facing the disaster.

The SAVE leaders emphasised the need for an extensive downstream environmental impact study from the proposed dam site up to the sea-mouth to be jointly conducted at the initiative of the Government of India and Bangladesh.

Experts on the study group need to be hired from NGOs, particularly from the environmental outfits, IITs and universities to independently assess its possible detrimental impact on the environment and life of inhabitants in the catchments areas. They said, without downstream impact study, if a clean chit to the project is given, it would be detrimental for both environment and people at large; and the struggling people of both in India and Bangladesh in particular.

They said the proposed dam falls at the confluence of Indo-Burma, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese biodiversity hotspot zone. These areas are characterized by the presence of a large number of plant and animal species, many of which are not seen or seldom witnessed in the rest of the world.

A large number of them have been categorized as endangered and threatened as the IUCN Red Data book and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Once the dam is constructed, these innocent endangered and threatened species would have no other alternative, but to perish.

Earthquake Zone-V

They said SAVE strongly believes that this rock-filled 500 metres long and 162.8 metres high dam to be constructed at the Earthquake Zone-V will become a constant threat to survival of people in the region. It will have constant pressure of water and if for any reason cracks open, the entire civilization of the whole of downstream region will be washed down in no time. The age-old Barak-Surma culture will live in history only. They pondered the question: Can any force or technology prevent this and ensure safety against such catastrophic mishap?

Impact on agriculture

The memorandum further dwelt on the important impact of the dam on water scarcity, crop cultivation, navigation, siltation, ecological imbalance, river pollution, extinction of aquatic life forms and the like and said these are no less important frontier areas that deserve careful and serious attention.

It urged the Bangladesh parliamentary delegation to strongly oppose the dam keeping in view all those things from a purely pro-environment and pro-human viewpoints. The Tipaimukh dam is going to be the lifetime curse for the inhabitants of Barak-Surma basin, they said pointing to the need for resisting it at all cost.

Hydel Projects: The New Battle Ground

2009-09-10T21:05:00.002+07:00

Sobhapati Samom

In a move to meet the growing demand of power supply in the country, the central authority continues to build mega dams in Northeastern states to generate more power despite the opposition and continuous protest from the locals.

Though the authority is yet to finalise the time frame for the construction of the controversial 1500 MW Tipaimukh multipurpose project in Manipur, state-owned National Hydro-electric Power Corporation, NHPC takes up construction work of South East Asia’s biggest hydel power project 2000 MW ‘Lower Subansiri hydel project’ in a contentious area of Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

However, the project has been facing constant criticism because it is ignoring the ‘downstream social life’ in Assam as well as the upstream ‘environmental effects’ in Arunachal Pradesh.

Namani Subansiri Jalavidyut Prakalpa Birodhi Okya Mancha, a united body of more than thirty organisations of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sonitpur and Jorhat districts (Majuli sub-division) opposing the project, made it clear that the dam in Gerukamukh is going to be a huge water bomb ready to burst upon the people living in the downstream areas.

The united body’s Kiran Deori has expressed strong resentment about the fallout of the mega dam project in the downstream areas of the Subansiri river in Assam covering three districts and called for the immediate halt of the on-going construction work at the dam site till all clearances required for the protection of the ecological and topographical concerns of the downstream areas are addressed.
If this is ignored, the front will launched various forms of agitations to stop the construction process, functionaries of the front told a visiting journalists team recently.

Keshav Krishna Chatradhar of Alliance Against Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project, AKYAMNCHA, a local resistance group in Assam said, “There’s no downstream study by NHPC or the implementing agencies. So they should stop construction works immediately.”

On the other hand, All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union has been demanding a ‘white paper’ on the upcoming mega dams in the state. Reports said that the Prime Minister of India launched the 50,000 MW Hydroelectric Initiative to fast track hydropower development in the country in May 2003. This initiative proposes to bring on line installed capacity of about 50,000 MW through 162 projects in 16 states by 2017. While 72 out of 162 schemes totaling up to 31,885 MW are in the North East, Arunachal Pradesh alone has 42 schemes with 27,293 MW capacity. It is of little wonder then that Arunachal Pradesh has emerged as the new centre of massive dam building in the country.

“We’re demanding a white paper on these mega dams. We’ve given an ultimatum to the Chief Minister in this regard,” Takam Tatung,President AAPSU said. “We will launch a democratic movement if the government fails to meet our demands within the next month.”

In Manipur, many NGOs and environmentalists have been criticizing the government’s move to construct the Rs 6000 crore worth Tipaimukh hydro-electric project confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers on the grounds that it would seriously affect agricultural land, local flora and fauna, not to mention the displacement of people and livestock.

The project site at Tipaimukh, located 200 km upstream of Barak River from the Bangladesh border, is high on the talks agenda as environmentalists express deep concern because if the 162 meter high dam is constructed, it could deprive Bangladesh of its share of project on downstream impact.

Chief Engineer Choudhury said, “We will moderate the flood situation as the project is going to sacrifice more than 330 MU of electricity generation for the sake of flood moderation by operating the reservoir 15 meters below FRL (full reservoir level).”

However, the actual construction of the dam will begin this year as the American engineering company; involved in the world’s biggest hydel project-the three gorge dam of China-is being commissioned for the project. Similarly the construction of Tipaimukh dam in Manipur will take time until the JVC (joint venture company) is formed, Uday Sangker Sahi, concerned NHPC Chief Engineer (Civil) told this reporter.

Though the Centre had appointed NHPC as the implementing agency for the project, it will now be a joint venture between NHPC (69 per cent), Shimla-based Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (26 per cent) and Manipur Government (5 per cent), the engineer informed.

Barak Dam in the vortex of controversy

2009-09-10T21:02:00.002+07:00

Jyoti Lal Chowdhury

The controversial Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydel Project is once again the centre stage of news. Besides facing opposition in Manipur, it has also been protested against by socio-political bodies in Bangladesh. On August 11, 5000 Bangladeshi protesters belonging to Tipaimukh Dam Resistance Committee and Sylhet Division Unnayan Sangram Committee joined by leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamat-e-Islami organised a mass gathering at Jakiganj opposite Karimganj town and criticised the Indian decision to build the dam. “Bangladesh will suffer huge economic and environmental losses if the Tipaimukh Dam comes up”, said Jamat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami. Their much hyped long march to the dam site was foiled by the Bangladesh Rifles.

In Manipur, Citizens’ Concern for Dam and Development, a conglomerate of 34 organisations, has been agitating against the construction of the project.

The agitation is being backed by Committee on Land and Natural Resources, Action Committee against Tipaimukh Project, United Naga Council, Naga Women Union, All Naga Students’ Association and Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights. Hmar People’s Conference (D), underground outfit, issued a press statement cautioning against any construction work to build up the infrastructure of the dam.

Notwithstanding the wave of opposition, the MoU was signed between the three states of Manipur, Assam and Mizoram a decade back. The Ministry of Home Affairs agreed to security arrangement and the Ministry of Road Surface Transport to take action for the improvement of NH 53 and NH 150 for easy access to the dam site. The Planning Commission gave its nod for the allocation of Rs.20 crore for the project during 2000-01 for infrastructure build up. The project was to be included in the 9th Plan. Mooted in the 70’s, its estimated cost has gone up from Rs.1500 crore to more than Rs.6000 crore. The centre approved a rehabilitation package for 350 tribal families to be affected due to submergence.

The project is to be built on river Barak. The site is in the remote village of Tipaimukh in Churachandpur district, bordering Mizoram. The project is designed to contain flood waters in Barak Valley, generate 1500 MW of power, facilitate irrigation and pisciculture.

Anti-dam activists fear the dam, if built, would disturb the seasonal rhythm of the river with adverse effects on downstream agriculture and fisheries. It will also affect two rivers of Bangladesh, 100 km away from Tipaimukh, Surma and Kushiara. River Barak at Haritikar in Cachar close to the border bifurcates into Surma and Kushiara before entering Sylhet district.

They also argue that the mega They also argue that the mega project with a catchment area of 9126 sq.km. in Manipur alone would submerge over 90 villages, besides inundating a vast chunk of forest and agricultural land as well as destroy tribal and folklore interests and diverse flora and fauna. With heat and dust around, the foundation stone of the dam was laid on December 16, 2006 by the then Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde at Tipaimukh under a blanket boycott call by different organisations.

Significantly, China has advised a dialogue between India and Bangladesh over the issue. China’s interest arises out of India’s objection to its decision to divert Yarlung Tsangpo, known as Brahamaputra in Assam, by building a dam over the river in Tibet. The Indian apprehension was that such a move by Beijing would greatly affect the river system of the North East, thereby the ecology and economy. Egged on by China, the Bangladeshi campaign against Barak dam has got a new dimension, making it an international issue.

In the context of these apprehensions being aired by different quarters, it would be quite relevant to examine certain records and observations for a fair and objective appraisal of the project. North East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (NERCPC) in its meeting held in May, 1999 at Imphal stressed on the need to constitute the Barak Valley Authority for the implementation of the project on the pattern of Narmada Central Authority. NERCPC, in this context, referred to the three consecutive meetings of the Chief Secretaries of Assam, Manipur and Mizoram which reached a sort of consensus to thrash out misgivings and take positive steps for clearing the hurdles.

The Manipur government, after being briefed by the Brahamaputra Board on the project constituted two committees under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary in details all aspects for moving ahead as recorded in the minutes of the first meeting of the technical committee on April 10, 1999 at the Brahamaputra Board Complex, Guwahati. After receiving the detailed project report from NEEPCO, the executive agency, state government of Manipur entered into a MoU on January 31, 2001. The MoU was facilitated with the annulment of Manipur State Assembly resolution unanimously in 2000.

Experts in the Brahamaputra Board and Ministry of Water Resources pointed out that the 16.80 lakh cusec capacity reservoir of the dam will not only control floods but also release enough water during the lean season through Barak and its tributaries-Surma and Kushiara. Besides this, the nod of the Manipur government followed the meeting of a 5 member Parliamentary standing committee on energy under the Chairmanship of Santosh Mohan Dev on February 10, 2001 at Silchar. Additional Chief Secretary of Manipur P.L. Thanga who attended the meet gave the seal of approval of his government.

In fact, once the project is commissioned, the North East region as a whole will benefit as it will substantially meet the power needs of the area. Manipur and Mizoram will get 12 percent free power. It will, at the same time, give a boost to fisheries, tourism and accelerate the economic development of the area. The Ministry of Water Resources has agreed to provide 220 KV transmission line to Imphal along with step down substation. Experts opine that the dam site does not fall in the seismic zone. Moreover, since the three states concerned after protracted discussions have agreed on the project, there is no reason to keep it in abeyance on grounds which look more far-fetched than reasoned.

India, Bangladesh to jointly combat terror, discuss Tipaimukh dam

2009-09-09T21:45:00.001+07:00

NEW DELHI - India Tuesday allayed Bangladesh’s concerns over the contentious Tipaimukh dam and hydroelectric project while the neighbours agreed to step up cooperation to combat terrorism and bridge differences on trade and transit issues.

With their relations on an upward curve after a protracted period of drift, the two countries also tried to narrow differences on illegal migration, cross-border infiltration and sharing of river waters.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna held wide-ranging talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Dipu Moni and pressed for closer cooperation in combating terrorism, and emphasised the need for intelligence sharing and closer coordination.

The talks lasted over two hours and included a one-to-one interaction between the two ministers for 10 minutes.

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao was also present at the delegation-level talks. The Bangladeshi delegation included Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes, Bangladesh High Commissioner Tarique Ahmed Karim and Mohammad Imran, director general (South Asia).

Moni, who is on her first official visit to India after Sheikh Hasina came to power eight months ago, assured Krishna that Dhaka was keen to jointly combat terrorism and address New Delhi’s concerns about insurgents allegedly operating from the Bangladeshi territory.

Krishna renewed New Delhi’s request to Dhaka to deport anti-India insurgents - like United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leader Anup Chetia - who are said to be living in Bangladesh.

The contentious Tipaimukh project located near the confluence of the Barak and Tuivai rivers in Manipur also figured prominently in the discussions.

Krishna assured Moni that the proposed dam was mutually beneficial and did not involve any diversion of water, as alleged by some sections of the political establishment in Bangladesh.

Moni Tuesday called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed an entire gamut of bilateral and regional issues. Manmohan Singh renewed his invitation to Sheikh Hasina to visit India later this year.

Trade and transit issues came up for discussion when Moni met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. The two ministers discussed ways to bridge trade deficit and improve road and air connectivity that could give a big push to economic engagement between the two countries.

Mukherjee pushed for transit rights for goods through Bangladesh to the northeast, a long-pending issue between the two countries.

National unity against Tipai Dam stressed

2009-09-06T16:29:00.001+07:00

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a discussion yesterday laid emphasis on greater national unity among political parties and civil societies to resist India's move to construct the Tipaimukh dam.

They also called upon the government and the opposition to discuss the Tipaimukh dam issue in the parliament.

The government is yet to take the Tipaimukh dam as national issue rather than political one and it needs to demonstrate rightly on the issue, they observed.

They said that a national consensus is needed to resist India from constructing the dam since it will bring a disastrous effect on the country's economy and environment.

Their observation came at a roundtable on 'Tipaimukh Dam: Overall Impact on Bangladesh' at a local hotel in the city. The Centre for Human Rights organised the function.

Barrister Abdur Razzaq, general secretary of CHR moderated and Justice Mahmudul Amin Choudhury, former chief justice presided over the programme.

Speakers also emphasised the need for a joint impact assessment by India and Bangladesh about the Tipaimukh Dam.

They also suggested the government to go for a third party mediation regarding the Tipaimukh issue.

Former VC's of Dhaka University (DU) Prof Emajuddin Ahmed said SAARC should be compelled to resolve the issues among the countries of South Asia.

M Asafuddowlah, former secretary called upon all to be united and suggested the issue should be discussed in the parliament.

He strongly criticised the government for its reluctance about the Tipaimukh Dam and said it was not understandable to him why the present government was so silent.

"Is this part of their gratitude to India for bringing them to power or gratitude for helping us during the Liberation War?" he questioned. "Given the track record of India, there is no reason to believe them."

Professor Muzaffer Ahmed, president of TIB stressed the need for forging a national consensus and stronger diplomacy regarding the matter.

"Indian government violated various international laws and treaties since they moved ahead with its plan to construct the Tipaimukh Dam," he mentioned.

Mostafa Kamal Majumder said if India constructs the Tipaimukh dam, it will bring a great catastrophe than Farakka barrage to the country's economy and environment.

Rouf Chowdhury, director of FBCCI said Bangladesh's weak foreign policy has prompted India to undertake a project like Tipaimukh Dam. "All governments after 1997 are responsible for the Indian plan to construct such a dam," he added.

The river Meghna will lose its navigability by 5 meters if the Tipaimukh dam is constructed. "Thirty percent of Bangladesh will turn into a desert in 30 years if the dam is constructed," said Dr SI Khan, a former environment management planner of the United Nations.

Prof Moniruzzaman Miah, former VC of DU, Abul Hasan Chowdhury, former state minister for foreign affarirs, Alamgir Mohiuddin, editor of the daily Naya Diganta, Prof Asif Nazrul of DU, Engineer ANH Akhtar Hossain, honorary general secretary of Institute of Engineering, Bangladesh (IEB), Prof Mahbubullah of DU, journalist Mahfuzzullah, Shamser Mobin Chowdhury, former foreign secretary, M Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the daily Amar Desh, Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Prof Mohammad Abdur Rab and Prof UAB Razia Akter Banu of DU among others, spoke on the occasion.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/09/06/news0660.htm

Tipaumukh, trade, transit to top India-Bangladesh talks

2009-09-05T16:50:00.000+07:00

IANS, September 4th, 2009, NEW DELHI

India is keen to bridge differences with Bangladesh over sensitive issues like the Tipakimukh hydrolectric project and move ahead on trade and transit as Foreign Minister Dipu Moni arrives here Monday on a four-day trip, ahead of Sheikh Hasina’s visit here later this year.

This will be Moni’s first official visit to New Delhi after Sheikh Hasina rode to power in Dhaka on the strength of landslide victory in December polls last year.

Moni will hold talks with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and also call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. She will discuss an entire gamut of bilateral issues, including security, cooperation in combating terrorism, illegal migration, trade and investment.

The two sides are likely to focus on enhancing connectivity and giving a fresh momentum to expanding economic engagement that would help in reducing trust deficit to resolve more complex issues like border management, infiltration and illegal migration and terrorism.

The contentious Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Dam Project will also figure prominently in the discussions. Located near the confluence of the Barak and Tuivai rivers in Manipur, the project has become a rallying point for the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to stoke anti-India sentiments.

Some sections in Bangladesh fear that the dam will deprive their country of its rightful share of water. Ahead of Moni’s visit, official sources said here Friday that they have made it clear that there will be absolutely no diversion of water. They also pointed out there was no construction activity going on and the dam will augment water during the rainy season and decrease the prospects of flooding.

These points were made to a team of parliamentarians who visited the dam site last month. India has shared pertinent data with Bangladesh and stressed that the project will be beneficial to both countries. Moni’s visit will provide a good opportunity to remove any misgivings over the project.

India will also emphasise need to jointly combat terrorism and press Dhaka to deport anti-India insurgents like United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) chief Anup Chetia who are said to be in Bangladesh. New Delhi is optimistic that the Sheikh Hasina government will take requisite action in this regard.

Moni’s trip comes at a time when India’s relationship with Bangladesh, dogged by years of mistrust over Dhaka’s alleged patronage of anti-India insurgents and widening trade deficit, is showing signs of improvement.

During then external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Dhaka in February 2009, India took significant unilateral initiatives like providing duty-free access to eight million pieces of ready garments, lifting a ban on FDI in Bangladesh and duty-free access to several items from Bangladesh.

India also signed a bilateral trade treaty and another one on the protection of investments. Put together, these initiatives have set the stage for a new positive period of trust and cooperation between the two neighbours.

Tipaimukh Dam: The Forgotten Challenges

2009-09-05T16:45:00.001+07:00

David Buhril

The proposed Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydro Electric Project wades deeper into controversy than before as the State actor, particularly the Government of Manipur, doggedly flexes militarisation approach to pursue the project. While voices of rejection were raised from diverse indigenous peoples organizations and even armed groups the dam builders as well as the project continue to miss the people.

The ongoing controversies with the proposed project certainly establish the need for the dam builders to review not only of the leviathan project but more importantly to review the existing policy on indigenous peoples.

The few, flawed and restrictive consultation that was pushed through in the name of “public hearing” by representatives of the State actor severely exempted the indigenous people. As a result, the reports or recommendations that usually enhance the pursuit of the dam builders obviously failed to incorporate the indigenous people’s perspectives. While various ambiguities remains unexplained the project is imagined without gaining public acceptance.

As vague languages about the project were spelled out, the dam builders resort to “development” as the password for winning the indigenous people’s confidence to allow their ancestral land, forest and resources to be submerged and uproot them from their peaceful existence.

The State as well as the dam builders’ policy on the indigenous people’s remains incompatible to the survival prospect of the same who were expected to sacrifice their land. It is evident that if the project is imposed on the indigenous peoples and their land it will result in violation not only of their rights, but also of their survival chances. While the obligatory process of “free, prior and informed consent” evades the people who would be affected, the State and the dam builders did not prepare the ground where participation must also be “active, free and meaningful.” Decisions relating to the rights and interests of the indigenous peoples are taken without their informed consent.

The supposed “consultation” or “public hearing” were merely “ceremonial contacts” that will never generate the desired legitimacy from the indigenous peoples. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, the indigenous peoples felt that they were left out and excluded from all the required democratic process that ought to consider their consent. This has negated their belief of the principles of equality before law and equal protection of the law.

The indigenous people’s experiences under the Government of Manipur further affirm this reality time and time again. The failure to identify the indigenous peoples who will be affected by the project still remains a hurdle.

Secondly, there is no recognition of the survival and cultural uniqueness of the indigenous peoples in the proposed project area. This severely undermines the value that land and forest have for the indigenous peoples. As a result, the “compensation” measures that have become a tool failed to secure the consent of the people who will be severely affected.

Not only that, the indigenous peoples were left out again in the race for compensation. There is already a visible growing resentment as few acclaimed “representatives” colludes with bureaucrats and politicians to seal a larger share of the compensation in the name of the people who will be affected. This has created stark social division in the proposed project area as well as in other areas that will be impacted. A handful of compensation seekers who wanted the dam because of the money composed the pro- Tipaimukh dam group.

Thirdly, there is no “culturally appropriate development plan based on full consideration of the options preferred by the indigenous peoples.” While the indigenous peoples wanted the State and the dam builders to recognise and protect their rights to own, develop, control and use their land and resources, the State or the dam builders could not draw any lines to safeguard their interests. Failing to subscribe to and digressing from the overblown “development” project, the indigenous peoples believe that the supposed “development” path that is expected to be ushered by the project will only hamper their livelihood system and survival prospect.

The indigenous people’s opines that the project will create social catastrophe after their land is submerge and the people uprooted, insecure and displaced. Fourthly, the absence of transparency has severely undermined the interest of the indigenous people in whose land the dam is proposed. This has barred the indigenous communities from the decision making processes.

Fifthly, the proposed project fails to recognise ownership of indigenous peoples land rights. The project is seen as an attempt to push them out of their land and reduce the customary tenurial rights of indigenous peoples to land and other resources by merely according them user rights. This amounts to negation of the indigenous people’s rights over land that are owned and used by them in conformity with customary laws since time immemorial.

As land is central to the existence of indigenous peoples, the land question that is surfacing with the proposed project threatens the indigenous communities and their survival prospect. The State as well as the dam builders ought to prioritised the sustainability of the indigenous people’s culture, livelihood system and their active participation in decisions that will affect them.

Sixthly, despite the threat of negative adverse impacts the project would have, the indigenous communities are not aware of any clear pre-conditions for the Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydro Electric Project’s approval. The project that is absent of any social assessment process, therefore, is seen as imposed and undemocratic.

Seventhly, with the denial and discrimination of the rights of indigenous people it has become a necessity for the State actors as well as the dam builders to incorporate an assessment of the legal status of the indigenous peoples as reflected in the Country’s constitution and legislation.

Besides, the indigenous peoples should be able to obtain access to and effectively use the legal system to defend their rights. However, and despite that, it is important to note that the indigenous communities’ social and economic status limits their capacity to defend their interests. For the same purpose, the State as well as the dam builders must start by doing its homework to deliver and acquire “free and prior informed consent “of the indigenous communities.

Moreover, in recognition of the right to information, all the documents relating to the project should be made public. The absence of this has been exempting the threatened people from the project that will, otherwise, cause social turbulence.

Eightly, the adverse social impact of the Tipaimukh Multipurpose HEP, whether short term or cumulative, have been seriously under-estimated. More importantly, with the proposed dam to be situated in Manipur, the Government of Manipur, which is often considered to be running a “failed State” and further militarised, should question the development effectiveness that the proposed Tipaimukh dam would have under its initiative. When any projects - small, medium or big- that was undertaken by the Government of Manipur severely stagnates in if not corruption then in all sorts of inefficiencies, the proposed Tipaimukh HEP also stand on the same ground.

Performance problems, in terms of cost over-running, project delays, absence of political will and accountability, and security imbroglio severely often plagued the Government of Manipur’s efforts. In looking at the future of the Tipaimukh HEP, it is necessary to learn from Manipur Governments’ past by reviewing the success or failure of the many projects that it has taken up. If we look at Tipaimukh constituency’s reality today, the Government of Manipur failed to maintain the only national highway, NH 150 that passes through Tipaimukh.

There is not even a bridge to connect the highway between Mizoram and Manipur; no concerned Government officials were stationed in Tipaimukh; no health centres, public distribution system is absent, no government-run school and institutions and no civil administration. Moreover, the constituency is currently battling with food-shortage and epidemic deaths. If these people are further robbed of their land and rights by the proposed project, their present state of deprivation would certainly deteriorate to further deny them of their citizenship rights.

Moreover, the question of security with the project cannot be underestimated in a place where various armed groups are taking vantage of the vacuum left behind by the collapse of civil administration. The cost of security should be look at against the interest of “development”. Besides that, the indigenous peoples will pay heavy price for the “security” presence.

If the proposed Tipaimukh dam cannot be imagined without the presence of security forces, the social acceptability and consensus of the leviathan project should be seriously considered. If dam builders, in their blind pursuit for profit making, fail to understand the indigenous people’s interests and perspective, the proposed project would merely enhance militarisation in the already militarised State to further induce social conflict. The indigenous people cannot be isolated from the proposed project in any of the processes.

In the end, the dam builders would merely leave behind social crisis, which will heavily toll the indigenous peoples who comprised of the biggest stakeholders. The rights and risks approach should be used to identify legitimate stakeholders in all the processes. It is high time that the dam builders, who are merely translating the dam in terms of monetary profit, overcome their profit syndrome for all purposes.

Otherwise, the rights of the indigenous peoples and the inevitable voluntary and involuntary risks would wholly negate the prospect of real development. At the same time, human rights should also constitute the fundamental framework within which human development must be pursued.

If the “dominant” dam builders failed to understand the indigenous peoples perspectives, it would only result in creating ripples of protracted social crisis that will never be incompensable. The dam builders should be morally responsible and not leave behind layers of problems in the already fractured State of Manipur that fails to come to term with itself.

Tipaimukh Dam:India to allay Dhaka’s concerns

2009-08-31T19:54:00.003+07:00

Ashok Tuteja
New Delhi, August 30

As Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni prepares to fly down to India early next month, the Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Dam Project has become a bone of contention between the two countries, threatening to sour bilateral ties. Located near the confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers in Manipur, the project has sharply divided civil society groups, environmentalists, human rights organisations and the media in Bangladesh over its implications on the share of water flowing from upper riparian India.

The Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is hell bent upon exploiting the situation to the hilt by fanning anti-India sentiments. Recently BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia, who was perceived to have an anti-India bias even when she was the Prime Minister, even refused to nominate her party colleagues on a team of Parliamentarians and water experts which visited the dam site in India last month.

The recent comments of Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty ridiculing suggestions in Dhaka that the project could harm Bangladesh’s interests had almost kicked up a row between India and Bangladesh. Thanks to the excellent relations that India enjoys with the Sheikh Khaleda Government, the controversy over his remarks was allowed to die down. Indian officials said Dhaka’s apprehensions on the dam project were entirely misplaced. They contended that the project provided a ‘win-win’ situation for both India and Bangladesh.

A deliberate and motivated campaign had been launched by vested interests against the project in Bangladesh. ‘’We have furnished data and views of experts to Dhaka explaining how the project would be beneficial for both the countries…it would still be our endeavour to remove doubts that still exist in the mind of the Bangladesh leadership,’’ official sources said..

They recalled that the Bangladeshi team which had visited India last month was briefed on how the project would help control floods in Bangladesh and provide it with more irrigation facilities. Dipu Moni’s visit, the first intense high-level contact between the two governments after the UPA began its second innings at the helm of affairs in New Delhi in May, would also provide an opportunity to the two countries to review the entire range of bilateral issues, the threat from terrorism to the South Asian region and international developments.

It is also being seen as a visit preparatory to the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s tour of India later this year. In the context of terrorism, India is likely to once again ask Dhaka to deport ULFA chief Anup Chetia and other militants belonging to the outlawed outfit who are in Bangladesh. New Delhi has made this request to Dhaka on several occasions in the past but in vain. Now that a ‘friendly’ government is in place in Bangladesh, India is hopeful that Chetia’s extradition to India could be a possibility.

New Delhi is also encouraged by some of the steps taken by Bangladesh in recent months to check the activities of anti-India elements operating from its soil. Bangladesh had last month arrested two Indian militants, who had been hiding there for 15 years, in a span of one week.

What is more, Bangladeshi security forces are said to be hot on trail of 3-4 more Indians who have been choreographing terror attacks against India from the Bangladeshi territory. Bangladesh had, in fact, from time to time, proposed a joint task force to combat terrorism in South Asia.

The proposal could again be on the agenda between the two countries. However, the increasing activities of Pakistan’s ISI are a matter of concern to New Delhi, which might be prompted to take it up with Dhaka during Moni’s visit. On the economic side, India and Bangladesh are trying to settle their differences in a variety of areas, including commerce, power and railways.

Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090831/main6.htm

Tipaimukh Dam: A Hazard for Bangladesh

2009-08-31T19:43:00.001+07:00

Mamoona Ali Kazmi

The Indo-Bangladesh relations have never been cordial. Regrettably, India’s expansionist policy in the region and anti-Bangladesh propaganda continued unabated. In Bangladesh, India is viewed as a bully, throwing its weight around and threatening the sovereignty of its smaller neighbors.

There are several issues between the two countries, which are of grave concern for Bangladesh. These include water issue, land issue, fencing of border, Indian support to Chakma community, killing of innocent civilians by BSF, subversive activities by India’s intelligence wings, Bangladesh’s high profile criminals taking asylum in India, smuggling from India etc.

Most important issue that mars bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh is water. Most of the rivers, which Bangladesh shares with India are controlled and managed by India. It has evolved plans to divert waters, from the northeast of the country to its drought prone west and south, of some 54 rivers which flow from India to Bangladesh.

India’s construction of dams or barrages on the common rivers one after the other not only violates international law regarding common rivers but also threatens the norms of good neighbourliness and the livelihood of the people of Bangladesh. After building Farraka and Teesta barrages, India has started construction of the Tipaimukh dam on river Barack just a kilometer north of Jakiganj in Sylhet. The construction work of Tipaimukh dam was stalled in March 2007 in the face of protests within and outside India for not following the international conventions about the international rivers. Linked to this dam is the Fulertal barrage.

To be located 500 meters downstream from the flowing rivers of the Barack and Tuovai rivers, the Tipaimukh dam lies on the south western corner of the Manipur state of India. Its reservoir will have a water storage capacity of 15,900 million cubic meters with a maximum depth of 1,725.5 meters. The dam and barrage when completed in 2012 are supposed to provide 1500 megawatts of hydel power to the Indian state of Assam but in return its going to bring about a major disaster for Bangladesh, practically contributing to drying up of 350 km long Surma and 110 km long Kushiara rivers which water most of the northeastern region of Bangladesh.

The Tipaimukh barrage is going to seriously affect not only agriculture in large portions of Bangladesh, particularly in winter, but is also gong to bring about negative ecological, climatic and environmental changes in vast areas of Bangladesh. Education Minister of India Nurul Islam Nahid said, “If India withdraws water from the Barack River, the free flowing Surma and Kushiara rivers will dry up”.

Surma-Kushiara and its 60 tributaries support agriculture, irrigation, navigation, drinking water supply, fisheries, wildlife in numerous areas in the entire Sylhet division and some peripheral areas of Dhaka division. So around five crore people in Sylhet and Dhaka division will face problems as Surma and Kushiara will lose five feet water in the rainy season. Abdul Karim Kim, an organizer of the Sylhet Paribesh Andolon feels that besides other parts of Bangladesh, Sylhet will be gravely affected.

“The dam completion will disrupt agriculture, irrigation, navigation, drinking water supply and ground water levels. Sylhet will face the same consequences faced by the south western region of Bangladesh”.

A Water resources expert, Professor Mustafizur Rahman Tarafdar discussed the ill effects of the Tipaimukh dam. He said, “If this dam is eventually constructed as intended, Bangladesh would have to suffer the adverse effects. This dam would lead to hydrological drought and environmental degradation.

This dam would cause the Surma and Kushiara to run dry during November to May which would eventually hamper agriculture, irrigation, navigation, shortage of supply of drinking water, etc. This shortage of water in these months would decrease the boost of ground water which over the years would lower the ground water level, which in turn would affect all dug outs and shallow tube-wells. Agriculture, which is dependent on both surface as well as ground water, would also be affected.

Also, any interference in the normal flow of water in the Barack would have an adverse effect on the Surma in Bangladesh that, in turn, feeds the mighty Meghna that flows through Bangladesh. Arable land will decrease and production of crops will fall, leading to an increase in poverty. Roughly 7 to 8 percent of total water of Bangladesh is obtained from the Barack.

Millions of people are dependent on hundreds of water bodies fed by Barack in the Sylhet region for fishing and agricultural activities. A dam-break is a catastrophic failure of a dam which results in the sudden draining of the reservoir and a severe flood wave that causes destruction and in many cases death downstream. If the Tipaimukh dam were to break, impounding billions of cubic meters of water, it will cause catastrophic floods because of its colossal structure”.

India never bothered to discuss the matter of the Tipaimukh dam with Bangladesh. The Tipaimukh Dam project was entirely developed and approved without informing the government of Bangladesh or involving its people in any meaningful exercise to assess the downstream impacts of the dam. Since the river Barack is an international river, Bangladesh as a lower riparian country should have an equitable share of water.

Moreover an access to the design details of the project, planning and design etc also is a right of the country. Mir Sajjad Hossain, member of Joint River Commission (JRC) said, “We do not know what is going on there. We came to know from our sources that India is panning a hydroelectric plant. India has not sent any official documents about the proposal”. This is clearly a gross violation of co-riparian rights of Bangladesh. India has violated provisions of the 1997 UN Watercourse Convention on the Article 5 (1) Equitable Utilization, (7) No Harm Principle, (9) Exchange of Information.

According to International Law, it is illegal to construct any dam on an international river without consent from the other side. But India has violated it by starting the construction of Tipaimukh Dam on the Barack. Unilateral water diversion, or withdrawal of water from international or common rivers, has been the long standing policy of India. India has seldom bothered to think about the impact of such policies on a low riparian country, such as Bangladesh, in diverting water from common rivers. The high commissioner of India Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty to Bangladesh admitted that the Indian government has resumed the process of construction once again from the end of 2008.

According to Chakravarty the dam would produce hydroelectricity and would not harm Bangladesh in any way. It would only regulate the rivers’ flow. As it is a project aimed at producing hydroelectricity, no water would be withheld from Bangladesh. But this is not as simple as said by Chakravarty as to produce electricity the water flow would have to be obstructed which means that there will be less flow of water to the riparian neighbouring country.

Furthermore, Chakravarty also stated that the water will not be used for irrigation purposes. Where as according to sources the original plan of India is to supply water to the areas of Rajasthan and other states from Barack River, around 900 km away from the Manipur state. How can the people of Bangladesh trust that India’s Tipaimukh dam will not do any harm to them when they have been suffering numerous environmental disasters for the last 35 years due to the barrages, in the upstreams of the Ganges and the Teesta, built by India?

India is withdrawing waters of almost all the common rivers by building dams on the upstream, which will eventually cause Bangladesh to turn into a desert. India’s lack of sensitivity to the neighbours does not speak of friendly act by a friendly country. By constructing Tipaimukh dam India is only looking its own interest. India wants to control the water flow to facilitate irrigation of the Cacher plain. India should not be insensitive to the environmental and the negative consequences of the Tipaimukh dam on the lower riparian Bangladesh.

People urged to join movement against Tipaimukh dam

2009-08-30T16:43:00.000+07:00

Staff Reporter
August 30, 2009

Leaders of National Tipaimukh Dam Resistance Committee at a discussion yesterday stressed the need for spontaneous participation of the people in the movement against the construction of Tipaimukh dam by India.

They called upon the people to remain alert on the issue so that the Indian government could not construct the dam on Borak River. If India constructs the dam, the north-eastern region of the country would turn into a desert, they said.

The discussion was held at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the city as a part of observance of 'Global Solidarity Sit-in Tipaimukh Dam Programme'.

The programme was also observed in the day in different district headquarters of the country and cities of the world including Shilchar, Calcutta and Patna of India, Canberra of Australia, Tokyo of Japan and New York of America.

Coordinator of the committee Engineer Mohammad Hilal Uddin moderated the discussion while convener of Governance Coalition Mohsin Ali, chairman of Supra Abdul Awal, leader of INCIDIN Bangladesh Shafikul Ahsan, executive director of Chalanbeel Uddyag Abdur Rasid Sabuj, president of Women Trade Union Shahida Parveen Shikha, among others participated.

Referring to 50 large dams in the world, Engineer Hilal said that a 'water syndicate' is now active to build more dams on big rivers to serve their own interests. "Such immoral activities of the syndicate have also con tributed to global climate change," he said.

Indian renowned journalist Shankar Roy and veteran leader of Tipaimukh dam issue in India Engineer Dinesh Mitra expressed solidarity with the participants of the programme.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/30/news0997.htm

Dhaka's concern must be addressed: Indian minister says on Tipaimukh project

2009-08-29T18:48:00.002+07:00

Tawfique Ali, from New Delhi

India should address Bangladesh's concerns over the proposed Tipaimukh Dam on the river Barak, said Indian State Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh during an interaction with reporters at a regional workshop yesterday.

"Bangladesh's concerns over the proposed Tipaimukh Dam are quite obvious and they must be addressed," said Ramesh on the second day of a two-day South Asia Media Briefing on climate change organised by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Journalists from seven south Asian countries took part in the workshop.

Replying to a query during the question-answer session, Ramesh said, "We are ready to address the concerns over the proposed dam."

Three consecutive prime ministers of India had laid down the foundation stones of this project since 1996, but it is yet to be realised, he said.

Asked if the project exists, the Indian minister said, "The project does exist but not the dam."

JM Mauskar, additional secretary to the environment and forests ministry of India, said the clearance for the project on environmental ground was given after a 'drill' on the project.

"We have put the assessment on environmental impact and environmental management study on website," he added.

MoU to be inked soon over Tipaimukh Dam

2009-08-27T17:17:00.005+07:00

Imphal, August 26 2009

To give wings for the construction of the controversy ridden Tipaimukh dam, a tripartite MoU is set to be signed soon, even as the Bangladesh team, which had to abort its plan to visit the dam site earlier, is set to visit it in November this year.

The MoU will be signed between the NHPC, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) and the State Government at Imphal very soon, probably within the next few days, said a top official of the State Power Department today.

The initiative has been necessitated following the decision to axe the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), as the implementing agency for the project.

Once the MoU is signed, it will be forwarded to the Central Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for a go ahead signal to construct the Dam, after the clearance from the Forest Department is obtained, said the official.

NHPC will hold the biggest share of the joint venture with 69 percent with SJVN holding 26 percent.

The State Govt's share will be the remaining five percent, said the official further.

The total estimated cost of the 1500 MW project has been pegged at Rs 8139 crores including the compensation to be paid to the affected people.

The Bangladesh team had to abort their visit to the dam site on July 31 and on August 1 due to the inclement weather, said the official and added that they are now scheduled to visit the site in November this year.

The team will assess whether the proposed dam on the Barak river will affect the flow of water to their country or not.

Dam opponents in Bangladesh are contending that it will cause large damage to the ecology and reduce the water share from the Barak, which flows into the Surma river in their country.

Anti-dam lobbyists have also been opposing the proposal to build the dam on the ground that it will submerge over 90 villages, besides a large chunk of forest land and arable land.

There is scope to stop India from building the dam: DR. ASIF NAZRUL

2009-08-26T19:02:00.001+07:00

Dr Asif Nazrul, professor of law at Dhaka University who did his PhD in international Watercourse Law from SOAS, University of London, explains to Konka Karim why it is important to register a protest over the Tipaimukh Dam at the international level.

We hear a lot of conflicting reports about what effects the Tipaimukh Dam will have on Bangladesh. Some say that the Surma, Kushiara and eventually the Meghna rivers will dry up turning northeastern Bangladesh into a desert. Others say, that hydroelectric power generation will actually benefit Bangladesh. How do you see the effects?

As reflected in various reports of the International Commission on Dam, whenever there is a huge intervention like the Tipaimukh project with the natural flow of a river, it will have disastrous impacts, particularly in the downstream areas. No matter what some people are saying, like we will get water during the dry season or the flood would be mitigated, the fact is, biodiversity in the riverine areas in Bangladesh is so sensitive that it would surely be adversely affected by any mega project in a shared river. Furthermore, since the project would be located in a highly seismic zone, the risk is much more grave.

Tipaimukh, no doubt, might have certain benefits but the injuries easily outweigh the benefits. But in order to be precise in our assessment as to the benefits and risks of the project we need to have all the data and information concerning the project. But India is yet to provide us with the project papers and other relevant information.

So, we have every reason to be suspicious. Take the example of Farakka. In 1976, while speaking at the UN general assembly, the Indian representative clearly stated that Farakka is not going to make Bangladesh suffer and whatever minor effect it will have could be remedied. Well, we all saw what economic and environmental impact the Farakka had on us.

The Indian government has told the Bangladesh government that the Tipaimukh dam will only be used for hydroelectric power generation and yet on their website they indicate to the Fulertala Barrage which will be used to retain diverted water.

Exactly. During the first proposal for the Tipaimukh dam in 1978 as well as the second one in 1983, they mention the Fulertala Barrage. In the NEEPCO website, the site for the Fulertala barrage is clearly indicated.

During the last meeting of the Joint River Commission in 2005, the Bangladesh delegation categorically asked whether the Indian government would construct any barrage at Fulertol to divert the water stored at Tipaimukh for irrigation purposes. They answered no. When they were asked whether they would construct the barrage at any other place in Manipur, they said they would answer it in the next meeting. That answer never came.

The Indians have been saying that there will be no barrage but their written literature like the NEEPCO website suggests otherwise. We need a written assurance from India that they are not going to construct any barrage at Fulertol or elsewhere. In fact Article IX of the 1996 water-sharing treaty clearly stipulates that Bangladesh and India will enter into agreement in relation to the utilisation of the waters of the shared rivers by complying with the principle of equity, fairness and no-harm. What they have been doing unilaterally with Tipaimukh is already a violation of the treaty.

If they can assure us verbally, why can’t they have a written agreement with us which would clearly state all the details on how we will benefit from the dam, how much water would be released in every day of a year and what compensation we will receive in the case of an accident or dam failure!

We signed a water-sharing treaty over Farakka years after the dam had been built. Do you think the Indian government intends to do the same?

That was 1969, this is 2009. At that time there was no water sharing agreement with India, today there is i.e. the 1996 Ganges Water Treaty. Our water sharing treaty expires in 2026 and until then, India has a treaty obligation to share all information with us. What India is doing now is a clear violation of Article 9 of the Ganges Water Treaty.

The construction of Tipaimukh Dam is also a clear violation of international customary law as it has been embodied in the UN Watercourses Convention of 1997. This is where the recent controversy regarding the remarks of Indian high commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakrabarty comes in. Pinak pointed that since the convention did not enter into force, it was not applicable. However, we have to understand that this treaty is a product of International Law Commission(ILC). The international court of justice in a number of cases valued the convention ILC had produced as evidence of embodiment of international customary law.

Is there any scope of taking the Tipaimukh issue to the international court?

Of course there is. Bangladesh and India are party to a number of international environmental agreements and raising the issue on these podiums will create an outcry.

Take for example the 1992 Biodiversity Convention. Article 5 of this convention stipulates that no country will undertake any measure which will seriously affect the biodiversity of another country. If the natural flow of water of Surma and Kushiara is affected, it will have immense effect on the animal and plant life of the region. To give a simple example, if you do not provide water to a human being for three days and then suddenly give him 10 glasses on the fourth day, imagine the impact of it? Plants and animals are generally more sensitive than humans not to mention micro organisms who can be affected in an hour. All those issues can be raised in the conference of the parties to the biodiversity convention and also in various committees established by the convention.

There is the Kyoto Protocol. Studies have proven that storing a huge amount of water like the proposed Tipaimukh Dam would contribute to global warming. Then there is the 1972 World Heritage Convention according to which, Sundarbans is a world heritage. That the increasing salinity in the water will affect a world heritage site is contradictory to the convention. In addition, there is the UN General Assembly through which you can capture the international headlines. But before internationalising the issue, Bangladesh must try its best to resolve the matter bilaterally.

Is there any real scope of holding them back from building the Tipaimukh?

Of course there is. Times have changed. You see, rivers such as Borak and Brahmaputra have their origin in China. If China one day wants to build dams on those rivers, which they obviously eventually will to generate power, on what moral grounds will India stop them? They will have no logical stand. We can play the environment card and we can play the China card. But most importantly, even if we can’t stop them we have to ensure that we have registered our protests very strongly, because they will remain as references in the future. This is exactly what India does not want us to do.

How would you assess the new Bangladesh government’s reaction to the Tipaimukh issue?

So far, the reaction has not been inspiring. Some of the ministers and parliamentarians appear to be suffering from India-phobia. There is also a serious lack of expertise in the government rank. The government seems to have totally failed to understand their strengths – the legal position, the global scenario and the fact that India cannot just unilaterally construct the dam. Because if they do it unilaterally, that would validate China’s future unilateral projects on the same rivers. The government has to properly assess the comprehensive picture, strengthen forums like JRC by appointing experts as its honorary members, beef up its negotiating skill by consulting all the concerned experts and provide people with genuine information so that people do not get confused and suspicious of the government’s performance on this issue. These are doable. You just need a change in the mind-set and a bit more smartness.

source: The New Age Xtra

Bangla seeks more technical info from India on Tipaimukh dam

2009-08-23T17:17:00.004+07:00

Anisur Rahman

Ahead of Foreign Minister Dipu Moni&aposs maiden official visit to India, Bangladesh has said it has sought more technical information from New Delhi on the cross- border Tipaimukh dam, which it considered an"important"and"urgent"matter along with the maritime boundary issue.

"We have several issues with neighbours. We want to settle them on a win-win basis as neighbours are constant and relations should be on constant basis through continued engagements," Foreign Secretary Mizarul Quayes said at his first press conference yesterday after assuming office.

On the Tipaimukh dam in Manipur, he said Dhaka has sought more technical information from New Delhi on the hydro-electric project.

Bangladesh&aposs main opposition BNP has objected to the cross-border dam and demanded that the project be scrapped.

Quayes categorised the issues of maritime boundary with New Delhi and Yangon and the Tipaimukh dam as"important"and"urgent".

He said the report of the Bangladeshi parliamentary delegation, which visited the site of the Tipaimukh dam on the common Barak River, was being examined by experts.

He said talks on the maritime boundary with both Yangon and New Delhi were underway, noting that the issue involved"sensitivity on both sides".

Assam joins Manipur to decry Tipaimukh dam project

2009-08-23T17:04:00.001+07:00

Isha Khan

Organised movement against construction of Tipaimukh Dam has begun at Cachar in the Indian state of Assam, Although there has been movement against the proposed dam in Manipur state of India for over two decades people of Cachar in Assam favoured construction of this dam.

Different environmental organisations of Cachar at a joint meeting with the Monipur groups which are opposed to the construction of the dam yesterday decided to wage movement against this project. These environmental organisations alleged that the government had given a wrong idea about the benefit of the dam to the down stream people for long, according to the BBC monitored in Dhaka yesterday.

Leader of the Anti-Tipai Dam Project Ramananda said “Down stream communities of different races and environmental organisations at yesterday’s meeting decided to join anti-dam movement. People of Barak’s upper region in Manipur have been waging movement for a long time. Anti-dam movement has begun in Bangladesh. Now the people of downstream Cachar region have joined this movement.

As a result the anti-dam movement will gain momentum and pressure will be exerted on the government to abandon this project, the BBC said.

One environmental activist of Shilchar said the proposed dam will fail to control flood. In dry season the whole Barak valley including Bangladesh will be in water crisis. Boro cultivation in the down stream region will be affected. Above all, if the dam collapses the whole downstream region will be destroyed.

Rumour in Sylhet: Low water flow in Surma, Kushiara for dam at upstream

2009-08-22T17:43:00.001+07:00

Ehsanul Haque Jasim
August 22, 2009

When the people of the country particularly the people of greater Sylhet area are concerned of the adverse impact of proposed Tipaimukh dam at the upper reaches of rivers Surma and Kushiara, at that time cannels, bills, hoars and small rivers of the area are facing water crisis even before the beginning of the construction of the dam by India.

Due to the present water crisis, tension heightened among the people of the area and they have been expressing concern that when the construction of Tipaimukh dam will be completed, how will be the conditions of Surma-Kushiara and other water bodies?

Meanwhile a rumour has spread among the people of Sylhet area that the construction of Tipaimukh dam by India on Borak River has already been completed and due to that the water crisis in the area has been created.

Common people of the area believe the rumour and the tension has increased among them. The rumour and tension are increasing day by day.

Hundreds of canals and rivers including the rivers Surma and Kushiara flowing through Sylhet are now facing low water flow.

Sabbir Ahmed Apu, a youth of Zakigonj, told this reporter that the rainy season is running and usually the river Surma and Kushiara do not suffer from water crisis in the season. But this year it is an exception that the two rivers are suffering water crisis. Due to water crisis the general people believe the rumour of completion of Tipaimukh dam.

When asked a boatman of Surma river Yunus Ali, told 'we know that the Indian government has completed the Tipaimukh dam construction. So there is no sufficient water in the river even being rainy season.'

He also told that they were ready to respond to the call of the government or other quarters to stand against the construction of the dam.

Md Nijam Uddin, resident on the bank of Kushiara River, told 'I believe that the water crisis is created due to Tipaimukh dam and the Indian government has finished the dam construction without informing Bangladesh,'

Abdul Hamid Manik, a journalist of Zakigonj, told that the rumour has spread due to water crisis in the rivers Surma and Kushiara and other water bodies of greater Sylhet area.

Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) informed that the Sylhet area were facing water crisis due to insufficient rain this year and creating char at the confluence of Surma and Kushiara River.

In every dry season a huge char is created at Amalshid in Sylhet at No-mans land of Bangladesh-India border. So BWDB can not implement dredging project without the consent of India.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/22/news0292.htm

Indigenous Hmar People Oppose Tipaimukh Dam Project

2009-08-22T17:38:00.000+07:00

The Hmar Peoples Convention-Democratic (HPC-D) has said that the proposed Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project is a war imposed on the indigenous Hmar people and other communities who share the river.

HPC-D “northern command” leader Lalthutlung Hmar told Newmai News Network that power-hungry governments and dam builders in India are being driven by capitalist interests. In their blind pursuit for profit and securing energy in distant foreign lands, they are poised to cross into indigenous peoples’ territory to dam the two life-giving rivers, Tuiruong and Tuivai, the group said.

“They don’t have the approval and consent of the people in whose land the dam is proposed. We are closely watching their every move. Hmar Peoples Convention Democratic shall never tolerate and allow their efforts to bear any fruit,” he said. The HPC-D leader said the rivers that nurse and feed ‘our honored generations before shall continue to flow for all the generations to come.’

'Tipaimukh, India: Location of Proposed Dam'

“We cannot allow the rivers to be disturbed. We are obligated to see that no outsiders, their forces and might will dam, destroy or disturb the natural flow of the rivers of life. Whoever steps in shall do so at their own risk. They shall pay for their own action,” he added sternly.

The HPC-D leader also said that Tuiruong and Tuivai rivers are central to the existence and survival of the indigenous Hmar people, who are fragmented by five state boundaries – Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya.

“Although the divisive state boundaries made our people politically insignificant in their respective State, the rivers weaved our people together through thick and thin. We shall never sacrifice them; never in the name of development; never in any elusive name. Our rich culture, tradition, history, language and memory flow in these rivers,” he said The HPC-D leader said it won’t “bow before any foreign interests to become mere fodder when our human quest is also to live and progress like equal human being.”

He said the rivers did not flow to be dammed and “our land and forest did not stand to be submerged; our people did not live to be uprooted and displaced”. There can be no compensation for the loss and cost to be paid by the people,” the Hmar outfit leader said.

The HPC-D pledged that it will fight to the end to see that the continuity and survival of these resources are not cornered. “We shall not allow the inheritor of these resources, the Hmar people, to be murdered by the same rivers that has given them life through the ages,” he said.

The outfit has appealed to the visiting parliamentary delegates from Bangladesh to steadfastly share the people’s concern to save river Tuiruong and Tuivai for all purposes. “Work together for collective good; to save the rivers from irreparable damage and public calamity,” he added.

The “northern command” leader of the outfit further said that HPC (D) was responsible for destroying NEEPCO’s drilling machine in the year 2008. “We hope everyone read our message loud and clear. We shall ever be committed to resist the destructive forces that go against the will of our people. Let this be a warning to all the other actors who are eyeing to intervene and injure our land and resources,” he said.

Advising to “stop all your vain efforts,” the outfit said it will not allow anyone to become “profit makers, share-holders and beneficiaries at the cost of our blood, land and rivers.”

“Let the governments and dam builders hear if they have ears; let them reason with their clear conscience before they initiate the structure of mass destruction. Let them not push us against the limit. If, today, they don’t retreat, HPC (D) shall be proud to become a sacrifice to take our own course of action. We shall fight this war. None can stop us, for God is with us,” Lalthutlung Hmar added.

Source: http://www.zimbio.com/environmental+issues+and+greenwashing/articles/47Bs8_hDWVo/Indigenous+Hmar+People+Oppose+Tipaimukh+Dam

Bangladesh needs naturla flood: Three rivers to dry if Tipai dam constructed

2009-08-21T20:52:00.001+07:00

Staff Reporter
August 21, 2009

A conference of Surma Kushiara Meghna Bachao Andolan in the capital yesterday called for drumming up support of the people for the movement to resist the construction of the Tipaimkh dam.

The leaders of the organisation said they would declare a programme for a still greater movement in this regard on the occasion of the 33th death anniversary of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani in November.

The conference held at the Dr MA Hadi Auditorium in the city was attended by delegates from 18 districts of the basin of the rivers Surma, Kushiara and Meghna.

Former member of University Grant Commission Prof Dr Tarek Shamsur Rehman presided over the programme while former environment and water expert of United Nations Engineer Dr SI Khan, Vice Chancellor of Manarat International University Prof Dr Abdur Rab, lawyer Zubayer Ahmed Bhuiyan, took part in the discussions.

Dr SI Khan said that natural flood is necessary for the country, as without flood Bangladesh would be turned into a desert. If India constructs the Tipaimukh dam on the Borak River, the rivers Surma, Kushiara and Meghna will become dry. Consequently, a vast area of the country would be severely affected for want of water, he added.

Dr Abdur Rab stressed the need for forging greater national unity to resist India's move to construct the dam saying that the issue is a question of life and death for us.

Member Secretary of the organisation Md Selim Uddin conducted the programme while delegates of different districts addressed it. Md Kamal Hossain (Chadpur), Shahin Ahmed Khan (Moulvibazar), Jaber Hossain Rasel (B.Baria), Abdul Motin (Kishorgonj) and Mizanur Rahman Rasel (Shariatpur) were among the speakers. Speakers said that the government should discuss the issue with Indian government and if the latter did not stop the construction of the dam, our government should raise the issue in the international court.

The next course of action was declared at the conference.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/21/news0207.htm

Tipaimukh dam: Trust, but verify

2009-08-21T20:12:00.003+07:00

Abdullah A. Dewan

AFTER holding talks with Indian authorities about the pros and cons of the construction of Tipaimukh dam vis-à-vis Bangladesh, the Parliament's water resources committee chairman Abdur Razzak told New Age that his team members were convinced that India would do nothing harmful for Bangladesh. "We have to trust our neighbour, as the Indian prime minister and two other ministers have assured that they wouldn't take up any scheme that would harm Bangladesh," he stressed.

On receiving the team's report about the controversial 1,500 MW Tipaimukh dam (TD), Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the formation of an expert committee to assess the environmental, ecological, and economic (EEE) impacts on Bangladesh.

The building of the dam is of serious concern because of its potentially detrimental effects on Bangladesh's rivers. The plan is to build TD on the trans-boundary Barak river which channels water to the Bangladesh rivers Surma and Kushiyara, both of which merge into the Meghna. Thus, any potentially destabilising water flow in Meghna should be unacceptable to Bangladesh.

Razzak's imprudent assertion that India would do nothing that is harmful for Bangladesh can be dismissed as a memory-lapse statement -- one that ignores the adverse consequences of the Farakka barrage (FB) that both India and Bangladesh have been coping with ever since its construction.

One of the devastating impacts of the FB is the vanishing of a large village, Akheriganj of Bhagabangola, rendering 23,394 people homeless and raising tensions between India and Bangladesh. Besides, the barrage has turned parts of northern Bangladesh into a desert, raising salinity, affecting navigation, and adversely impacting the environment, agriculture and fisheries.

The government of India is now thinking of repairing the damage with a massive $120 billion plan to link its rivers, which originate in the Himalayas, with 30 interlinked canal systems that would deliver water to so-called Peninsular India. (India: Farakka Barrage -- An Environmental Mistake by Muhammad Javed Iqbal.)

Razzaque is a politician, not a water expert -- even a "so-called" one. His assertion about the team being "convinced that India would do nothing harmful" may be deemed gratuitously friendly, diplomatically pandering, evidentially unsubstantiated, and openly vociferous. Despite environmentalists' concerns, Razzak dismissed BNP's remonstrations about the project as nothing but an attempt to keep themselves politically alive. All his post India trip statements seem to suggest: "In India, we trust."

"Trust, but verify" should have been the mission of the Razzak-led 10-member get-to-know delegation. The Russian proverb doveryai, no proveryai -- Trust, but verify -- had often been quoted by US President Ronald Reagan when discussing US and Soviel relationships with USSR General Secretary Mikhail Gorvachev. If the Farraka barrage had taught us anything, the Razzak led delegation should have adhered to the Russian proverb before being convinced that dam would have no adverse effects on Bangladesh.

The lessons of FB make it imperative that the proposed expert committee must consist of professionals with expertise in all three areas of EEE to produce an independent and professionally sound assessment. The TD is not a diplomatic matter or a cross-border political issue -- it's a question of Bangladesh's national security.

The recent actions and concerns expressed by members of the US Congress, the UN Security Council, and retired US military officers have awakened many nations to the consequences of climate change, including the destabilising effects of storms, droughts, and floods (SDF). Experts think that the effects of climate change could easily overwhelm disaster-response capabilities in the US. Internationally, it may cause humanitarian disasters, contribute to political unrest, and undermine weak governments -- leading to failed states.

Last week, in a national public radio talk show on climate change, I heard a retired US military officer refer to Bangladesh several times while discussing what could potentially happen to natural disaster prone countries. He argued that the effects of SDF brought about by climate change could lead to starvation, political violence and terrorism. As a consequence, climate change has increasingly been called a "security" problem, and there is conjecture that climate change may enhance the risk of violent conflict.

A recent study, National Security and the Threat of Climate Change, projected climate change as "a threat multiplier in already fragile regions, exacerbating conditions that lead to failed states -- the breeding grounds for extremism and terrorism."

The disastrous effects of the Farraka barrage must remind the politicians of Bangladesh not to blithely jump to hasty conclusions about the potential negative impacts of the controversial Tipaimukh dam. The potential adverse effects are similar to those of climate change. Therefore, the government of India must abandon the project if the dam -- even if remotely -- poses a threat to the environment, ecology, and economy of Bangladesh. A rise in terrorism as a result of dam related adverse effects could easily spill over across the border into India -- which neither Bangladesh nor India would ever like to see happening.

(Dr. Abdullah A. Dewan, founder of politiconomy.com, is Professor of Economics at Eastern Michigan University.)

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=102092

Navigate, revive and thrive

2009-08-21T19:57:00.001+07:00

Z. A. Khan

THE Bangladesh parliamentary delegation that went to visit Tipaimukh Dam site to obtain first hand information has apparently come back without much success. Our nation is not surprised about the outcome. An opinion poll held by The Daily Star last week about whether India would extend any worthwhile cooperation to the delegation, more than 80% respondents opined that it would not.

Although the delegation claims that it got some valuable information, which substantiates India's position that construction of this dam will not affect Bangladesh in any way, the people are not inclined to believe the delegation's claim of India's positive assurances.

Taking a cue from India's non-adherence to certain aspects of the instrument of understanding between Bangladesh and India pertaining to water sharing from the Farrakka Barrage, this time too they fear a repeat of the attitude shown in the past by India.

The people feel that our leaders, both in the government and in the opposition, should find ways to resolve the vexed issue so that our fragile relationship with India does not slide any further. In the days of "mouse click civilisation" speed is of the essence in any conflict resolution. If Tipaimukh is not dealt with in earnest by the parties involved, it may put the two neighbours on a collision course that is likely to create impediments in our march for development.

There are 55 rivers and rivulets that flow from India to the Bay of Bengal through our country. We have learnt that our neighbour has already constructed dams on the upstream of 54 of them. The Farakka experience has terrified the population living on the Meghna basin about the possible effects of the Tipaimukh dam. Any tampering with the flow of these water sources will affect Bangadesh a great deal.

Bangladesh, being a lower riparian country, bears the brunt of the natural vagaries caused by rains and flooding. The turning of the Ganges into a desert because of Farrakka may have given us football grounds (a recent photograph in The Daily Star is a proof in point), but it has deprived the area of a waterway that helped agriculture and communication aplenty.

The horrendous experience of the Farrakka Barrage has made our nation apprehensive about the extent of damage that Tipaimukh dam may cause. So both India and Bangladesh should demonstrate eagerness to engage in a genuine dialogue to resolve this critical issue to the satisfaction of all the stakeholders.

We wasted a lot of time in deciding on the composition of the delegation, which was rejected by the opposition on the ground that no expert had been included. They suggested a few names, which were unacceptable to the government. Finally, our delegation went to visit Tipaimukh dam site without any member from the opposition.

As ill luck would have it, the delegation made two attempts to visit the site, which were aborted by nature. The delegation, on its return, informed the nation that it had received some documents that show that the Meghna basin is not threatened with desertification and bio-degradation. The delegation also informed the nation that India had made a firm commitment that the construction of the dam would not affect water sharing in both the wet and the dry season.

People find it intriguing as to why the relevant details made available by India were not made public initially, and why the delegation did not land at the site when they could see it while hovering over it in a helicopter? They allege that our government is not demonstrating firmness in seeking assurances from India that the dam will not affect our economy and environment. This has provided people outside the government with an opportunity to blame the government, terming the entire exercise as a failure. Let us not forget that this is a top priority national issue.

To my understanding, both the government and the opposition should work hand-in-gloves to find a common solution, which should strengthen the dialoguers of our side to press home our demand. The water resource ministry should immediately arrange a broad-based conference of experts to deliberate on the viability of the suggestions put forward by India, and short list an agenda by according priority for further discussions in the immediate future.

Let us form an international body of experts to determine whether the dam, if constructed at the selected site, will have any adverse affect on our people's lives or retard our development -- or neither. If this is not considered in due haste, it might snowball into a massive movement which may not augur well for the government. Let us choose time to save time.

My intention is not to censure anybody. I only want to remind us about what Lord Buddha said in this perspective, which is: "Right view, right speech, right action, right mindfulness and right contemplation are sinews of a full life (successful life)." To this, I would add that these virtues should be founded on compromise and barter when it comes to dealing with problems involving nations.

Any delay in ensuring a national consensus about the modus operandi to handle this issue with India may subject our nation to gallows humour. If the government remains stubborn about not including experts suggested by the opposition it will drive a wedge between the two, which will imperil development of politics of understanding, which is essential for democracy.

The nation deserves to be correctly navigated by the leadership so that we are led towards peace. Our hopes of living among greenery should be revived by demonstration of genuine efforts to arrive at a conclusion that assures the lower riparian nation that it would not be deprived of the quantum of water needed. Only thus we can thrive to enjoy the fruits of democracy and development, the prime mover of our motivation to fight for independence.

Let us be reassured that our rights to life and property will remain the chief concern of our political leadership, both in the government and in the opposition. As of now, we feel shaken at the thought that a large chunk of our productive territory will be engulfed by water if we do not face the challenge thrown by India's decision to build the dam on the upstream of the Borak river.

(Z.A. Khan is a former Director General of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies)

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=102239

Indo-Bangla relations

2009-08-18T17:56:00.001+07:00

Sarwar Hussain

With unalloyed support for independence and strong opposition against the barbarism committed by Pakistan in 1971, India, no doubt, contributed much to the establishment of Bangladesh, showing great neighbourly approach to the war-stained people of the latter nation. With the passage of time, the relations, however, between the two countries have been termed as a 'complex' one, as there has been fluctuation, if not bitterness, between them.

Bangladesh, being almost entirely encircled by India via a land border stretching 2400 kilometres, considers its relations with India to be vital for political and economic reasons. During Mujib government the relations with India were at the peak but with the fall of the government mentioned, bilateral issues concerning the interest of the two neighbours, slowly but surely, started experiencing, in most of the cases, dissatisfaction. Issues such as South Talpatti Island, the Tin Bigha corridor and access to Nepal, the Farakka Barrage and water sharing, border killings and the construction of a fence along most of the borders gave birth to mutual misunderstanding. But the issues never turned extremely serious.

In recent years, India increasingly complained that Bangladesh does not secure its border properly, though many small pieces of land such as Padua, a part of Sylhet division, and South Talpatti Island, belonging to Bangladesh along the border region are still under Indian military occupation. However, India fears an increasing flow of economically depressed Bangladeshis to its territory and it accuses Bangladesh of harbouring Indian separatist groups like ULFA and alleged terrorist groups. India estimates that over 20 million Bangladeshis are living illegally in India, which has no reasonable footing. The Bangladesh government has consistently denied these accusations

Tipaimukh barrage issue has recently been a much talked about topic and managed to cause a hue and cry, for it is entirely concerned with mutual interest. The Indian government has planned to construct a controversial dam and a barrage on the upstream of the trans-boundary river Barak, with the intention of stopping the flow of water to Bangladesh which will, no doubt, cause a devastating effect in the latter nation. Bangladesh water experts, environmentalists, politicians and people in general protested the move in a peaceful manner. But their counterpart seems paying no heed but showing 'Big-brotherly' attitude, making the issue worse.

On top of that, Indian High Commissioner Pinak Chakrabarty has not only undermined the people concerned for their opposition to construction of the barrage but also termed 80 percent of the Bangladeshis seeking Indian visa as 'touts and brokers' at a conference in Dhaka. Regrettably enough, he delivered the highly objectionable and arrogant comments in front of high officials including the foreign minister herself with no protest.

Diplomatic relations among nations can never be developed blowing hot words and showing a 'Big-brotherly' attitude. If diplomats create a gap, who will bridge it?

(Sarwar Hussain, Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Chittagong).

Mass signature campaign at JU

2009-08-18T17:53:00.000+07:00

JU Correspondent

Jahangirnagar University (JU) unit of Bangladesh Chhatra Federation (BCF) yesterday launched a mass signature campaign at the campus with a view to protesting the construction Tipaimukh dam at the bank of Borak river.

The leaders of the organisation urged the mass people to raise their voice unitedly against any attempt to construct the Tipaimukh dam by eighbouring India overlooking the interests of Bangladesh.

They also appealed to the people to unite to save the country, human life, nature and to ensure the sovereignty of the country.

Afrin Tithi, the university unit convener, Mrinal Haque, general secretary, Golam Murshed, the central member of the organisation were present at the launching programme.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/18/news0966.htm

Tipai dam: IAB submits memo to UN

2009-08-18T17:50:00.000+07:00

Staff Reporter

Leaders of Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) yesterday submitted a memorandum to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Mun through UNDP representative of Bangladesh office demanding help to stop the construction of Tipaimukh dam by India on Borak river in Monipur state of India near the border of Sylhet.

A delegation of IAB led by its presidium member Moulana Syed Musaddek Billah Al Madani submitted the memorandum while UNDP Bangladesh office incharge Kazi Ali Reza received it and assured the delegation that the memorandum will be reached to UN Secretary General as soon as possible.

The memorandum said that the plan of constructing Tipaimukh Dam Project was a complete violation of Bangladesh-India Joint River Commission (JRC) 1996, International Helsinki Convention and International River Law.

It was also told that if India constructs the dam, it would destroy country's existence and it would seriously affect not only in Bangladesh, it is also going to bring negative ecological and environmental changes in vast areas in Bangladesh and different states of India.

IAB leaders urged UN Secretary General to intervene to stop the construction of the dam to save vast areas of Bangladesh from desertification.

The delegation includes, among others, by IAB General Secretary Moulana Yunus Ahmed, Organising Secretary Prof Syed Belayet Hossain and Dhaka city president Prof Moulana ATM Hemayet Uddin.

After submitting memorandum, IAB leaders informed journalists that a Long March towards Tipaimukh Dam led by IAB Amir Mufti Syed Rezaul Karim Pirsaheb Chormonai would be launched on December 24 this year.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/18/news0965.htm

Manipur MLAs asked to resign : Stop Tipai Dam project: Affected Villages body

2009-08-17T18:01:00.002+07:00

The New Nation

The Tipaimukh Dam Affected Villages Committee, Nungba Sub-area, Tamenglong on Friday strongly condemned all 60 Members of Legislative Assembly, Manipur for their failure to take up a substantial debate in the just concluded Monsoon Assembly and leaving ways for New Delhi to decide the fate and future especially of the affected communities of proposed Tipaimukh Project.

Terming Tipaimukh as the most controversial and biggest single project being imposed upon Manipur which will have far reaching consequences for generations to come the committee alleged that the responsibility and accountability of elected representative has been replaced by a sense of servitude who are all out for forced submission, according to a message received from Manipur.

As elected representatives, the committee observed, their first and foremost obligation is to frame policies and laws that suit the people of Manipur to ensure peaceful co-existence, with freedom from dislocations, displacement and ensure better life. The very purpose of these 60 odd MLAs has been diluted, and have demeaned the office they hold.

The Controversial damming of Barak River to contain flood water in Cachar Valley at the cost of Manipur and Mizoram have reached a new dimension. The British House of Commons did discuss the matter and asked the Government of India to down the damming project.

Bangladesh has strongly objected and went event to the extent of sending their own parliamentary team to ascertain their apprehensions. United States of America and China too have responded for talks to resolve the conflict the Dam has generated. Whereas, these 60 odd MLAs of so called Manipur State of India have no nothing to say, the committee observed.

In 1995, the Manipur Assembly, having learnt that the proposed dam site fall under seismologically active zone, the environmental hazard to be caused is too heavy and the rehabilitation and resettlement package is extremely inadequate, had adopted a strongly

worded resolution opposing the damming of Barak River, and later in 1997, similar resolution was adopted.

The committee said on 9 January 2003, without taking into confidence House and people of Manipur, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Government of Manipur and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation, Ltd. then with NHPC. In other words, the Assembly have never cleared the project which was earlier rejected on two counts.

The Committee demands that this controversial and anti-people Tipaimukh Dam Project be scrapped otherwise the 60 MLAs resign en-mass. Let the Chief Minister and Power Minister lead the way. The Committee will join hands with other would-be-affected communities and other organisations demanding for scrapping of the Tipaimukh Dam Project, the message signed by Lumgaipou Kamei, convenor, Tipaimukh Dam Affected Committee.

Parliamentary delegation “convinced” on Tipaimukh

2009-08-16T19:44:00.001+07:00

M. Serajul Islam

FORMER Water Resources Minister and currently Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources Mr. Abdur Razzak, upon his return home from leading a parliamentary delegation to India, said that his talks with the Indians have “convinced” him that Tipaimukh will not harm Bangladesh. He told news media that the dam will be constructed for generating hydro-electricity and ensuring flood control and its water will not be used for irrigation.

The parliamentary delegation did not include any member of the opposition. Mr. Razzak's words alone may not resolve the controversy that Tipaimukh has raised in Bangladesh. A lot more will be required to calm passion and apprehension over the issue that was allowed to develop into a full blown controversy with enough potentials to take Bangladesh-India relations off the track. The Indian High Commissioner, unfortunately, started the controversy as much by what he said as by the manner in which he said what he said. Some of the Bangladeshi ministers added apprehension to the controversy when they addressed the issue in the media in support of the Indian High Commissioner.

The Indian High Commissioner and the ministers failed to take into account the fact that the Farakka issue has embedded deep into the psyche of Bangladeshis a suspicion that India would eventually withdraw waters from the rivers that flow from India and turn Bangladesh into a desert. The public reaction in Bangladesh led by the BNP was therefore natural and spontaneous because in Tipaimukh, they saw the scepter of a Farakka on the north eastern side of Bangladesh-India border.

It is very encouraging that the Indians have “convinced” the Bangladesh parliamentary delegation. It is also encouraging to learn that Tipaimukh will generate electricity and control floods in the plains of Assam and that its water will not be diverted to cause shortfall in the flow of Barak River on which the dam will be constructed as it flows into Bangladesh into the Surma and Kushiara rivers. The assurances nevertheless raise a curious issue in the context of the serious controversy that Tippaihmukh has caused in Bangladesh: the inordinate delay by the Indian side to take Bangladesh into confidence over Tipaimukh. According to one member of the delegation, they were given information on Tipaimukh that was denied to Bangladesh in the last 20-25 years. The parliamentary delegation has submitted a report to the Prime Minister but its details are not yet known. The report must have all the technical details so that the Bangladesh government could tell the people the whole truth and let the issue rest. Therefore, one must wait to learn how much the Indians have taken Bangladesh into confidence on Tipaimukh.

When the AL won the December elections last year, it was expected in Bangladesh that Bangladesh-India relations would improve qualitatively given the AL's historical closeness with the Congress. Additionally, in recent times, there has been a perceptible change in people's attitude in Bangladesh over issues that had stalled Bangladesh-India relations in the past such as transit, use of ports etc. Given India's concern over terrorism, Prime Minister Sehikh Hasina even offered to establish a joint task force to tackle the issue. There was optimism in many quarters in Bangladesh that the two countries who need each other for compulsions of history and geopolitics would move towards a new era of win- win relationships where India, in reciprocal gesture, would look at Bangladesh's concerns on water, trade and maritime boundary.

Unfortunately, that optimism was very short lived. The Indian High Commissioner helped raise the controversy over Tipaimukh that put the Bangladesh government on a spot. Even the ministers were confused over the Indian High Commissioner, with the Foreign Minister at least once expressing reservation over his media comment only to be contradicted by the LGRD Minister the day after! All these did not suggest that the Indians were eager to settle outstanding bilateral issues; rather these actions by the Indians hinted towards an overbearing attitude on their part.

Tipaimukh nevertheless has helped the AL and the BNP move closer to making this a national issue, something unpleasantly rare in our politics. The ministers stopped supporting the project perhaps under the Prime Minister's direction who must have sensed the dangers of taking a pro-Tipaimukh stand. In her bilateral meeting with the Indian Prime Minister on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Egypt in July she raised Bangladesh's concerns over Tipaimukh. Mr. Singh gave Sheikh Hasina assurance that nothing would be done to harm Bangladesh and the two leaders further agreed that a Bangladesh parliamentary delegation would visit India to discuss Tipaimukh.

Apprehensions in Bangladesh will not be fully laid to rest till the people are convinced with facts. The favourable impression carried home by Mr. Razzak and his delegation will not be enough to clear the apprehension in Bangladesh. The facts must come out in a transparent manner so that assessment could be made by experts. The best and perhaps the only way to resolve this issue satisfactorily would be to discuss Tipaimukh in the Joint Rivers Commisison with India providing all the facts and figures, something the Indians have refused so far despite Bangladesh's repeated requests.

The Tipaimukh controversy can land Bangladesh-India relations in the doldrums if handled badly or insensitively. It can also act as a conduit for taking relations to a different level altogether if handled positively. Given the fact that there is very deep and significant opposition in India, particularly in Manipur over the project, the Indians could drop it altogether because the amount of electricity it will generate is by no means dramatic. In fact if generating electricity is the main argument, then there are other places India could look to generate many times more electricity. That could provide a quantum leap to the development of Bangladesh-northeast India-Nepal and Bhutan sub-region and could very well include Manipur with no environmental costs. For many decades now, Bangladesh has been trying to pique India with Nepal's tacit support for a sub-regional management of water resources. Nepal could be used for building dams and reservoirs that could provide the much needed energy as well as control devastating floods in India, Bangladesh and the sub-region.

Recently Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has spoken of a South Asian power grid. It is an old call, one she also made when she was Leader of the Opposition. Such a power grid could become transformational if the vast water resource of the region, which is now being wasted because of India's mindset for dealing with each of her neighbours bilaterally, is developed multilaterally. Bangladesh should now make a strategic shift in conducting her bilateral relations with India. Past experience of using the traditional channels alone have not worked in our favour for we were seldom given a fair deal when our Foreign Ministry and other Ministries and established channels such as the JRC have been used to negotiate with their Indian counterparts. Issues have always been bogged down by a mindset on the Indian side that neighbours cannot be trusted multilaterally and on Bangladesh's side that India cannot be trusted as a friendly neighbour. It is time that our Prime Minister takes charge to deal with the major irritants at the highest level to reach the political understanding without which it would be very difficult to improve and strengthen Bangladesh-India relations.

The Tipaimukh controversy is far from over. Nevertheless, it seems that India is eager now to give Bangladesh information that was not forthcoming in the past. The meeting between the two Prime Ministers in Cairo may be the reason for the change of heart on India's part. The Indian Prime Minister is a statesman and knows the importance of a friendly neighbour. Our Foreign Ministry needs to make more use of summit diplomacy for better attention and resolution of our problems with India.

The writer is a Director, Centre for Foreign Affairs Studies and former Ambassador to Japan.

Source: The Daily Star

Water experts want national convention on Tipaimukh Dam

2009-08-16T19:37:00.002+07:00

Dhaka, Aug 16 (UNB)

Environment experts on Sunday urged the government to hold a national convention on India’s proposed Tipaimukh Dam across the Sylhet border that will leave a perilous affect on Bangladesh.

Addressing a press conference they also demanded forming a national committee to work together on various aspects of the dam and take the decision how to ensure availability of waters of the common rivers.

New Work based International Farakka Committee (IFC), a trans-boundary water rights group, held the press conference at the National Press Club.

IFC chairman Atiqur Rahman Salu, former UN water expert Prof Dr SI Khan, former Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Prof Dr Jasim Uddin Ahmed, river law expert Prof Dr Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University and daily New Nation Editor Mustafa Kamal Majumder spoke
at the press conference.

A six-member expert-committee was formed comprising Prof Dr M Adel Mia of Arkansas University of USA, Prof Dr Monirul Kader Mirza of Toronto University of Canada, Prof Dr Khalequzzaman of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania of USA, Prof Dr SI Khan, Prof Dr Jasim Uddin Ahmed and Prof Dr Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University.

IFC chairman Atikur Rahman said the committee will discuss and exchange views with Awami League and BNP expert teams and, if necessary, assist both of them.

At the same time the IFC expert-team will monitor the activities of other national expert teams. It will also collect information on the river water rights and arsenic problems, he added.

Prof Asif Nazrul said earlier his name was included in the BNP-expert team but he refused to work under any political organization.

He was critical of Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakraborty for his objectionable remarks on water experts of Bangladesh.

On June 21, Pinak called the water experts who are dealing with the Tipaimukh Dam as 'so called experts' at a seminar in presence of Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.

Bangla to assess dam impact

2009-08-15T16:51:00.002+07:00

Dhaka, August 13 2009

Ahead of Foreign Minister Dipu Moni's visit to India next month during which the Tipaimukh dam issue is likely to be discussed, Bangladesh has decided to set up an expert committee to assess possible economic, ecological and environmental impacts of the cross-border hydro-power project.

Premier Sheikh Hasina ordered formation of the committee as a parliamentary delegation, which was on a week-long visit to India, submitted its findings and documents provided by authorities in the neighbouring country with regard to the mega project on Barak river in Manipur.

"The committee will evaluate the environmental, ecological and economic impacts on Bangladesh," a spokesman in the Prime Minister's office told PTI here.

His comments came as a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Foreign Minister Moni planned to visit New Delhi in the first week of September.

He did not give the dates.

The spokesman said that Tipaimukh is expected to be a major agenda of her talks during her first formal visit to India since the assumption of Bangladesh's new government after the December 29, 2008 general elections.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources Abdur Razzak, who led the high-power delegation to India to review the Tipaimukh project, last night said the tour yielded three "achievements" with regard to Bangladesh's concerns about the dam.

Emerging from a meeting of the standing committee, Razzak said India had assured the delegation that the dam was meant for a hydro-electric plant, and was not an irrigation barrage requiring withdrawal of water.

"They told us about the amount of water to be discharged into the Barak river during the dry season and how much of it will flow into the Surma and Kushiara of Bangladesh".

Leading water expert Ainun Nishat, who co-drafted the Landmark 1996 Ganges Water Treaty, supplemented Razzak saying "from the engineering and technical point of view" a well-negotiated agreement on Tipaimukh could benefit Bangladesh even if an irrigation barrage was built as part of the project.

The water flow of Barak in Bangladesh will increase in the dry season and drop in the rainy season with lessening possibility of flood, said both Razzak, also a former water resource minister, and Nishat.

Source: The Sangai Express / Anisur Rahman (PTI)

Tipaimukh protest march to Ottawa

2009-08-15T16:50:00.000+07:00

Mamunur Rashid, Ottawa

Members of the Bangladeshi community in Montreal led by the Save Bangladesh International, Global Environmental Concern and the International Farakka Committee (Canada Chapter) on Monday last paraded a long march to Ottawa protesting India's move to construct Tipaimukh Dam on Barak River.

They went at the Parliament Hill with a slogan "Cholo Cholo Ottawa Cholo" to demonstrate devotion to their motherland. The group first marched from Montreal on foot for a while then by transportation reached the Parliament Building.

The group began marching on the Parliament Hill from the location of the flame to the main building and the slogan on the placards read, "India Stop Building Dams", "India, Where is your Spirituality", "How can dam building be peaceful"? "Share Ganges water", "Stop building Tipaimukh Dam", "Save Sylhet", "Dam building is destroying the humanity", "India, be benevolent to your neighbor".

Addressing the rally near the flame in front of the Parliament building conference organiser Mamunur Rashid of the 'Save Bangladesh International' said, "India being known globally as a peace-loving country should practice what it preaches. Building dams over the Ganges, Tista and now Tipaimukh is not helping to promote peace in the region.'

Fazlee Elahi one of the organisers said, "India's unilateral action to building dams is to make Bangladesh a dependent state through desertification. Through this India is increasing shifting away from being a peaceful nation to its path to aggression."

Dr. Bahar, spokesperson for the 'Save Bangladesh International' said, "We are not against India or against Indian people but we are against India's ruling Congress Party's stated policy of dam building which Nehru called India's new temples."

Faisal Chowdhury cautioned that India's deceitful initiative is going to hurt Bangladesh.India as a big power in the region rather should work responsibly for regional harmony, he said.

The meeting was told that India is ignoring Bangladesh's and the international environmental group's concerns. Bangladeshis in Bangladesh and in abroad should continue to fight, and should keep up the pressure at home and abroad through demonstration and protests against India's destruction of eco-system of the region.

Some South Asians and some Canadian Friends of Bangladeshi members also joined in the demonstration in Ottawa.

The demonstrators also spoke with the representative of Canadian Prime Minister and informed them that India is adamantly going ahead with the plan even by ignoring expert claims that there is an increased risk of Tipaimukh dam failure due to its location in a high risk earthquake zone and in case of such a failure, the projected dam would be a tsunami like disaster for Bangladesh's eastern region.

The demonstrators sought help from the Canadian government to help mediate to settle this serious international issue that concerns the lives of millions of people.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/14/news0639.htm

Tipaimukh villages want all MLAs out

2009-08-15T16:47:00.002+07:00

Dimapur, August 14 (MExN)

Villages affected by the dubious Tipaimukh Dam today demanded Manipur’s entire “coolies for Delhi” 60 legislators to resign for failing to address the dam issue, for which, the villages said, there would be consequences for generations to come.

The Tipaimukh Dam Affected Villages Committee of Tamenglong today strongly condemned Manipur Legislative Assembly, for failing to take up debate in the just-concluded monsoon assembly and “leaving ways for New Delhi to decide the fate and future of Manipur.”

The villages said responsibility and accountability of the elected representative have been replaced by “a sense of servitude” and have been forced into submission and acting as “disciplined coolies of Delhi babus.”

The committee ridiculed Manipur’s MLAs: “The controversial damming of Barak River to contain flood water in Cachar Valley at the cost of Manipur and Mizoram have reached a new dimension. The British House of Commons did discuss the matter and asked the Government of India to down the damming project. Bangladesh has strongly objected and went event to the extent of sending their own parliamentary team to ascertain their apprehensions. United States of America and China too have responded for talks to resolve the conflict the dam has generated.

Whereas, these 60 odd MLAs of so-called Manipur state of India have no nothing to say!” The committee reminded the legislators that as elected representatives, their foremost obligation is to frame policies and laws that suit the people of Manipur.

They further added that it is the responsibility of the legislatures to ensure peaceful co-existence, ‘freedom from dislocations, displacement and ensure better life.’ “The very purpose of these 60 odd MLAs has been diluted, and has demeaned the office they hold,” the villages said, adding that the apathy is reflected in the “loud silence maintained by all the supporters of the CM even after the Tehelka exposure.”

Arguing with their points of contentions against the dam, the committee stated that in 1995, the Manipur Assembly learned that the proposed dam site falls under seismically active zone and that the environmental hazards to be caused is too heavy. Similarly, rehabilitation and resettlement packages are extremely inadequate. For this, the committee said, it had adopted a strong resolution opposing the damming of Barak River.

Also, in 1997, similar resolution was adopted. But on 9 January 2003, the committee noted, without taking into account the confidence of the house and people of Manipur, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Government of Manipur and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd. then with NHPC. “In other words, the Assembly have never cleared the project which was earlier rejected on two counts,” the committee.

The committee has demanded that the controversial and anti-people Tipaimukh Dam Project must be scrapped otherwise the 60 MLAs must resign en-mass. “Let the Chief Minister and Power Minister lead the way. The committee will join hands with other would-be-affected communities and other organisations demanding for scrapping of the Tipaimukh Dam project,” the committee added.

Does international law permit Tipaimukh Project?

2009-08-15T16:45:00.001+07:00

Asif Nazrul

According to the website of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) which is in charge of the Tipaimukh Project, this project will be one of the largest Hydro Electric Project in Eastern India to date and will be located 500 meters downstream of the confluence of the Tuivai and Barak Rivers in the District of Churachanpur in the State of Manipur. All statutory clearances, except forest clearance have been obtained and the project is scheduled for commissioning in 87 months time from date of CCEA Clearance.

Situated in a highly seismic zone, this project was seriously objected by the Bangladeshi experts as documented in the JRC’s commentaries in 1985 on the updated Indian proposal for augmenting the flows of the Ganges submitted to Bangladesh in 1983. After that successive Bangladeshi governments have objected to the Tipaimukh project in view of its serious environmental and economic impact in the downstream. If India sticks to its original plan of constructing a Barrage at Fulertol or elsewhere to divert the water stored in the Tipaimukh the impact would be a reminiscent of the Farakka Debacle. It may be mentioned here that In the 36th meeting of the Joint River Commission held from 19 to 21 September, 2005, Bangladesh asked whether, instead of Phulertol, the barrage would be constructed somewhere else. India replied that the answer would be furnished at the next meeting (Source: Transcript of Commission Records, Paragraph: 11.2). Since then, India has not furnished the answer to this question to Bangladesh.

India’s unilateral move to construct the Tipaimukh Dam would be a violation of its obligation under the 996 Ganges Water Treaty between Bangladesh and India as well the customary laws of international law governing the utilization of international rivers and lakes. The 1996 thirty-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty was signed by the heads of state of Bangladesh and India and thus, according to the 1969 Vienna Convention on The Law of Treaties, it has the full backing of international law. Both Bangladesh and India are bound to abide by this treaty until 2026.

The 1996 treaty is the relevant law for assessing the validity of the proposed construction of Tipaimukh or any other structure on shared rivers between Bangladesh and India. The treaty is relevant law because in addition to making provisions for water-sharing in the Ganges, the treaty also enshrines, in Article IX: “Guided by the principles of equity, fairness and no harm to either party both the Governments agree to conclude water sharing Treaties/ Agreements with regard to other common rivers”. According to the International Laws Commissions Commentaries on the Draft of 1997 Watercourse Convention, such pledges to apply the principle of equitable utilization and no-harm essentially presupposes obligations of conducting prior consultation and conclusion of agreement with co-basin state before undertaking any planned measures on a common river like the Barak. Accordingly, construction of the Tipaimukh Dam by India on the upstream of Barak which after entering into Bangladesh continues to flow as Kushiara and Surma will be illegal, unless it is preceded by prior consensus with Bangladesh.

As part of the Tipaimukh project, if India builds a barrage over the Barak River, the resulting disastrous consequences on Bangladesh will be a graver violation of the “no harm” principle acknowledged by both countries in the Ganges treaty.

Unilateral construction of the Tipaimukh project would also be inconsistent with the customary laws of international law as reflected in the 1997 UN watercourse convention. This Convention was drafted by the International Law Commission constituted under Article 13(1) of the United Nations Charter. The draft law produced by this Commission represents either existing or emerging rules of international law (ILC Statute, Article 15); several verdicts of the International Court of Justice have already expressed such a view (for example, the 1997 ICJ verdict regarding the River Danube dispute between Hungary and Slovakia).

According to the 1997 Convention, a project with the magnitude of impact upon the environment that Tipaimukh will have, cannot be constructed unilaterally by any basin state.. Given that this Convention is ratified by Bangladesh, it could oppose projects like Tipaimukh much more effectively in the international forums or bi-lateral discussions. The 1997 convention emphasizes comprehensive cooperation for equitable utilization of the watercourses, no-harm to any watercourse stares and adequate protection of international watercourses.

In 1992, the Economic Union for Europe devised an even more comprehensive and far-reaching convention regarding utilization and management of transboundary watercourses. By the terms of this convention, there is no scope, at all, to construct structures on joint rivers without conducting a comprehensive environmental impact assessment, providing full information to all the concerned basin- states and ensuring that there are no serious harmful effects on the ecosystem and the co-riparian states.

In the last two decades, various countries in Africa (e.g. 1995 Zambezi River Protocol, 1997 Lake Victoria Program), South East Asia (e.g. 1995 Mekong River Agreement), and South America (e.g. 2004 Program for the Pantanal and Upper Paraguay Program) have all emphasized basin-wide cooperation for ensuring sustainable utilization and management of international watercourses. Even Turkey, known as a country with a low regard for international watercourse law, is now consulting Iraq and Syria about equitable utilization of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, in line with the recommendation of the European Parliament on May 20, 2003.

Bangladesh and India are parties to a number of global environmental conventions, which are potentially applicable to the shared natural resources. Among them, Article 3 of Convention on Bio Diversity provides that “States have â€¦. the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other states or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.”

The principle is of fundamental importance to international rivers and shared water systems like the Barak Basin as “damaging activities upstream frequently degrade the inland or coastal waters of downstream states”.

Provisions for preventing and mitigating harm related with the utilization of shared water systems are also found in a number of conventions including the 1972 Ramsar Convention, the 1992 Framework Convention on Climate change and the 1994 convention on Desertification.

If India decides to ignore the above international rules and norms for undertaking the Tipaimukh project that might prove disastrous for India itself. The sources of several large rivers, such as the Brahmaputra, are in China who is reportedly considering undertaking construction of big dams on some of those rivers. If India claims that there is no international law prohibiting Tipaimukh, then how would India oppose China’s projects which would cause serious damage to the environment and economy of India. Indian newspapers are already warning their government about this facet of the problem.

For us, the question is: are we ready to devise the necessary strategies with a holistic vision of the problem?

(Asif Nazrul is a professor of law at the University of Dhaka. The paper was presented at a recent international conference organised by the International Farakka Committe in Dhaka.)

Surma river already facing severe water crunch

2009-08-15T16:42:00.001+07:00

Kamran Reza Chowdhury
bdnews24.com Senior Correspondent

Hundreds of water bodies and small rivers in the greater Sylhet region are already facing a water crisis during the dry season, according to Bangladesh Water Development Board, even before India has begun construction of the contentious Tipaimukh dam project upstream in Manipur that has triggered widespread environmental fears for the region.

WDB officials said a huge shoal emerges every dry season, from November to April, at the mouth of the Surma river that is fed by the cross-border Barak river, over which the Indian government is planning to build its dam.

"The large shoal has been surfacing at the mouth of the Surma, at Amalshid in Sylhet, every dry season for some years past," Abul Kalam Mohd Azad, BWDB director general, told bdnews24.com on August 9.

"We have been trying to dredge the river-mouth to ease the river's flow," he said.

But water board officials say they cannot clear the shoal since it lies in the "no-man's-land" on the Bangladesh-India border in Sylhet.

They say Delhi is yet to give Dhaka the green signal to dredge the river's mouth.

The cross border river Barak enters Bangladesh through Amalshid bifurcating into the Surma and the Kushiara.

Because of the shoal at the Surma's mouth, the Barak waters now mainly drain through the Kushiara, rendering the Surma-dependent areas water-thirsty.

The Surma criss-crosses the Sylhet and Sunamganj districts. Millions of farmers and fishermen are solely dependent on the water bodies and distributaries of the Surma for their livelihood.

"Hundreds of large and small rivers and other open water bodies in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts are fed by the Surma," Syed Ahsan Ali, a superintendent engineer of the Water Development Board in Sylhet, told bdnews24.com.

"In the dry season, they face water shortages as the shoal diverts waters to the Kushiara which now carries 80 percent of the Barak waters."

Syed Ahsan Ali was authorised to talk to bdnews24.com by the board's chief of planning Md Saidur Rahman.

Rahman told bdnews24.com, "We have requested the Indian government to undertake dredging in the Surma river."

BWDB director general Abul Kalam Mohd Azad said the shoal must be cleared as soon as possible, or massive silt deposits may soon choke the whole river.

Surma flow data reveals a grim picture of the Surma river in the lean period (November to April) at Kanaighat, the Bangladesh Water Development Board's nearest observation point to the shared border with India.

In 2006, the Surma's flow at Kanaighat in the dry season was 9.18 cumec per second in April while the lowest was 4.56 cumec per second on February 13. In the rainy season that year, the same river's highest flow at the same point was 1416 cumec per second on July 10 and the lowest 670 cumec per second in August.

The Surma's highest and lowest flows in the lean period in 2007 were recorded in March. The highest flow in the dry season was just 4.6 cumec per second and the lowest 4.22 cumec per second. The same river's highest and lowest flows figures in the 2007 rainy season were recorded in August as 962 cumec per second and 670 cumec per second repectively.

In 2008, the Surma's highest and lowest flow figures for the dry season were recorded in March. The lowest flow was 6.05 cumec per second while the highest was just 15 cumec per second. The highest flow in the rainy season the same year was 1456 cumec per second on July 21.

The figures for 2009 are yet to be processed, said officials.

Environmentalists in India and Bangladesh say the proposed Tipaimukh dam, on top of such a prevailing situation, will certainly cause "environmental disaster" both in the upstream and downstream—despite repeated assurances by Delhi that it will not.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni, who is scheduled to visit India in September, told bdnews24.com on August 12, "I will discuss this further with the Indian government".

However, Sajjad Hossain, a member of the Joint Rivers Commission, which discusses river-related issues with India, refused to comment on the issue, when approached on Friday, telling bdnews24.com, "I have nothing to say".

Dhaka, New Delhi to discuss Tipaimukh dam next month

2009-08-13T18:13:00.000+07:00

Dhaka, Aug 13 (IANS)

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni will be in India early next month to discuss the Tipaimukh dam issue and to follow up on assurances given to a parliamentary delegation that went to study the site.

Moni told the media Wednesday that details of her visit were being worked out and that the visit could be in the first week of September.

Parliamentary delegation leader Abdur Razzaq added that the aerial visit to Tipaimukh in India’s Manipur state had yielded three “achievements” with regard to Bangladesh’s concerns about the dam that is proposed to be built on Barak river, the Daily Star reported.

India, he said, had assured the team that the dam was meant for a hydroelectric plant, and was not an irrigation project.

India would not build any barrage or structures for stopping water flowing downstream of Tipaimukh site.

Citing the third “achievement”, Razzaq said: “India told us about the amount of water to be discharged into the Barak river during the dry season and how much of it will flow into the Surma and Kushiara of Bangladesh, once the dam is built.”

The water flow of the Barak in Bangladesh will increase in the dry season and drop in the rainy season with lessening the possibility of flood, he was quoted as saying by The Daily Star Thursday.

A senior ruling Awami League leader and a former Water Resource minister, Razzaq led a 10-member team to India July 29 to collect facts and documents on the dam project.

The team met Indian ministers and officials. Its landing by helicopters at the site of the proposed dam was, however, thwarted due to inclement weather.

“No one has ever got such categorical assurance in the past from India. Indian officials assured us that the proposed Tipaimukh dam was meant for hydroelectricity generation,” said Razzaq, a lawmaker of the ruling Awami League.

“India also assured us that they would not set up any irrigation project there. Moreover, the dam will reduce the risk of floods,” he said.

The three assurances counter the points raised by protesters who have been joined by main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), analysts here said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked that a team of experts be constituted to study the details of the project furnished by the Indian side.

Quoting an Indian water expert, Razzaq said the Tipaimukh dam would help control floods in Bangladesh and increase water flow in the Kushiara and the Surma in dry seasons.

Asked whether his Indian counterparts would keep their promise, Razzaq said: “Why won’t we trust them? They helped us a lot during our Liberation War and on many other occasions.”

Citing the example of the Indus Water Treaty between Pakistan and India, Razzaq said: “If Pakistan and India being two countries involved in a number of wars can strike a water sharing deal, what is the problem for Bangladesh to have an agreement with India.”

“For the first time in the last 40 years India has agreed to provide us with such information on the dam,” said the senior lawmaker, adding that Indian authorities had given them a booklet containing facts and information on the project.

The delegation had submitted a voluminous report to Hasina on their experience and visit to the site.

'Tipaimukh Dam, a hydroelectric project’: No component of irrigation, says Razzak

2009-08-13T18:12:00.000+07:00

UNB, Dhaka

The leader of the fact-finding parliamentary delegation on Wednesday said they had been cleared by India on three matters over the controversial Tipaimukh Dam, including the main one that it will be purely a hydroelectric scheme without any component of water withdrawal from the common river Barak for irrigation.

The two other clarifications were that the Indian side categorically said there would be no structure at Fulertal or any other place on the downstream of the Barak and the Indian government provided data as to how much additional water would flow in Kushiara and Surma rivers of Bangladesh during the dry season following discharge of water through the dam.

Abdur Razzak, also chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources Ministry, disclosed the explanations given by the Indian government after discussing their inspection report placed in short form before the watchdog body in its on Wednesday's meeting.

Briefing newsmen at Jatiya Sangad Media Centre he described the outcome of the parliamentary delegation's visit to the Tipaimkuh project site and their discussions with government leaders in New Delhi en route.

On the amount of discharge of water down the dam, he said there is almost similarity to a study in this regard carried out in 1993 during the BNP regime by a foreign company. The former Water Resources Minister, Razzak, observed this is for the first time in last 40 years the Indian authority provided

Bangladesh delegation a booklet containing extensive data and information about Tipaimukh project. He mentioned that they have submitted a voluminous report on the Tipaimukh dam to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for next course of action.

"The Prime Minister instantly directed forming an expert and technical committee to examine the data and information of the report to determine Bangladesh's benefits and risks over the Tipaimukh dam," Razzak told journalists at the briefing.

He said government-to-government interaction between the two countries would decide the next course of action.

On July 29, a 10-member parliamentary delegation led by Abdur Razzak flew to India for the visit to the Tipaimukh dam site at the invitation of the Indian government. The delegation retuned home on August 4.

Razzak said the Indian side also informed them that the Tipaimukh dam would help in controlling floods in Bangladesh as the project will have a flood- moderation component.

He said a presentation on the proposed Tipaimukh Hydroelectricity Project with elaborate information and data was presented by the Indian government before the parliamentary delegation in New Delhi on the first day of their visit when officials and experts of the Foreign Ministry, Water Resources Ministry and Power Ministry of India were present.

Razzak said the projected data and information showed that, during dry season, water flow in Barak River near Bangladesh border would increase and flood intensity be reduced during rainy season through decreasing water flow into the river.

He also mentioned Indian two senior ministers' assurances to them by reiterating Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's assurance given to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the recently held NAM Summit in Egypt that India would not do anything which can harm Bangladesh.

Razzak said after the Indian premier and two senior Ministers' assurances "why we will not trust them. No work will progress if such mistrust remains."

Replying to a question about opposition-planned Long March against Indian move to construct Tipaimukh dam he said, "It is being done for gaining political interest and misleading people."

About reported fear of destruction of the proposed dam by earthquake and its consequences, he said the Indian side informed that the dam has been designed calculating the risk of facing shock of over 8.5 on Richter scale intensity of earthquake which is much higher than tremors that had occurred in this region so far.

So there is no apprehension of colossal loss for Bangladesh due to consequences of the dam suffering from possible earthquake, he said.

He further said both Bangladesh and India would carry out further studies independently on possible adverse impacts on the environment following construction of the dam and exchange data and information with each other.

He said during their low-flying helicopter trip over Tipaimukh dam site, the delegation members didn't see any structure of dam at Tipaimukh.

Regarding the Indian progress in construction, he said: "Still they have not invited tender for construction of the dam."

Committee members ABM Anwarul Huq and Abdur Rahman were also present at the briefing.

Expected negative consequences of Tipaimukh Dam

2009-08-13T18:07:00.002+07:00

Animesh Roul

Never before have water-sharing issues caused so much controversy in South Asia as the proposed Tipaimukh dam project over the Barack river in India's northeast has. The river flows westward, merging into the Meghna river system in neighboring Bangladesh.

India's plan to build a multipurpose hydroelectric dam over the river has caused heated political debate and has become the cause du jour of civil society movements in Bangladesh who fear its environmental and economic repercussions.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, recently speaking to reporters from the sideline of a Dhaka conference, indicated that "if the Tipaimukh dam goes against the interests of Bangladesh, [we] will do whatever is necessary to protect national interests."

Moni has rebuked Indian envoy Pinak Ranjan Chakravarti for referring to Bangladesh environmentalists as "so-called experts" and accusing them of being politically motivated. Chakravarti's off-the-cuff remarks created an uproar in Bangladesh and triggered protests outside the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, where demonstrators burned his effigy.

The North Eastern Electric Power Corp (NEEPCO) is in charge of the $1.7 billion project, which aims to generate 1,500 megawatts of hydroelectric power. But experts disagree on the purpose of the dam and its eventual impact.

The perception prevails in Bangladesh that their larger neighbor is carrying out the project without any consultation with the lower riparian state and that ultimately the proposed dam will have a severe ecological impact that could lead to the desertification of eastern Bangladesh.

India argues that since the Tipaimukh dam would be used for hydroelectric power generation and not for irrigation, it would not cause any negative consequences downstream or any ecological harm to Bangladesh. Ainun Nishat, country director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Bangladesh (IUCN), was recently quoted on BDNews24.com as saying that "the construction of [the] Tipaimukh dam will reduce the natural monsoon flood patterns of the area on which cultivation depends."

"Even a hydroelectric project, which is not an irrigation project, can have pretty serious downstream impacts," asserted Himanshu Thakkar of the New Delhi-based South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People (SANDRAP).

Speaking to ISN Security Watch, he warned that "the project will have far-reaching adverse impacts on the environment upstream and downstream of the dam, and also will have a global effect due to the likelihood of the emission of massive quantities (yet to be assessed) of methane gas, which is a 21-times-more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

"The fear of serious downstream impacts prevalent in Bangladesh is well founded, but the nature and quantum would depend on many factors, including the way the dam is operated," Thakkar added.

"I have not heard of any dam, be it for irrigational or power generation, without any upstream and downstream impact," said Manipur-based Ramananda Wangkheirakpam, the coordinator for North East People's Alliance in Bangladesh.

Wangkheirakpam is less cautious, telling ISN Security Watch that "the dam will inundate upstream in Manipur and create havoc across the border" and "India knows the impact." It is not the first time India and Bangladesh have clashed over dam issues. Ties have been strained over the sharing of Ganges water and the Farakka barrage in the past. Bangladesh faced a severe water scarcity due to the barrage, especially during winter season. However, in December 1996, a 30-year water-sharing agreement with conditions perceived as favoring India eased some of the brewing tensions.

Many in Bangladesh fear that the Tipaimukh dam will be another Farakka.

Scholar and activist Habib Siddiqui described the Tipaimukh project for the website The New Nation as likely another "death trap." Muhammad Hillaluddin, coordinator and activist at the Dhaka-based Angikar Bangladesh Foundation, holds similar sentiments. "The Farakka barrage was thrusted upon the newly born Bangladesh in the early years of the 1970s, but now the situation has changed," he told ISN Security Watch. "The resultant conflict will take severe form and be prolonged for many days to come."

"So far, India does not seem to be taking the Bangladesh government and people into confidence about the project and its impacts," Thakkar lamented.

But the dam is also opposed by some in India.

On 26 July, some 100 people gathered in the town of Lakhipur, in India's own Assam state, downstream from the Barak river, which environmentalists warn could end up under 10 meters of water should the proposed dam collapse. It is the first case in which downstream communities in India have protested the proposed dam.

Environmental activists and experts from northeastern India and Bangladesh fear massive inundation of villages and clogging and drying up of the river systems if the ambitious Tipaimukh dam project is put in place.

The Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Dam (ACTIP), an umbrella group spearheading anti-dam protests in Manipur in March 2007 submitted a memorandum to the Indian government in protest against the project. ACTIP observed in their memorandum that nearly 285-square kilometers of land will be submerged under water if the project is implemented.

According to Hillaluddin, "the Haor wetlands of northeast Bangladesh engulfing almost one-sixth of the country will face water logging, due to the water level difference in the rivers in late monsoon, which will affect cultivation and commercial fisheries."

Hillaluddin also fears that earthquakes could damage the massive structure of the along with its huge reservoir, resulting in "catastrophic consequences especially for the downstream districts of Bangladesh."

Beyond physical environmental fears, Ramananda Wangkheirakpam foresees an "environment-induced conflict" in the region.

"There will be massive migration from Bangladesh due to the Tipaimukh project once it is operationalized and might contribute to the conflict between locals and Bangladeshis," he cautioned.

The Tipaimukh issue figured in informal talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on the sideline of the 15th Non-Aligned Movement summit, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in July.

A section of the present Sheikh Hasina-led administration believes that India's plan for hydropower generation could benefit the country.

But according to a high-ranking source close to the talks, there are "strong elements within the ruling Awami League (AL) that can pull down the Sheikh Hasina government if they sign any agreement with India" on the dam issue. Amid widespread opposition to the project at home, especially from the main opposition Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is blamed for 'playing politics' over the dam, and many environmental groups, Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina is quite optimistic for an amicable resolution of this contentious water sharing issue with India through talks soon.

But as Hillaluddin is less certain, saying the issue is extremely important and highly complicated, especially as experts across the board seem to strongly disagree as to the potential impact the dam will have on water resources, ecology and people.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/12/news0490.htm

Razzaq claims 3 'achievements' from Tipai visit

2009-08-13T18:05:00.002+07:00

Star Online Report

The head of Tipaimukh dam site visit team, Abdur Razzaq, today said they achieved three successes from their last month's visit.

"We've got assurance from the Indian government that Tipaimukh project will not be for irrigation and no structure will be built in lower areas.

"India also assured to give us information on how much water they will release from the river Barak in summer," Razzaq said at a press briefing.

Razzaq, also the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on water resources ministry, said the Indian government never gave such data in last 40 years what Bangladesh got this time.

The 10-member team went to India on July 29 to see the site of the proposed Indian project at Tipaimukh but could not land on the site thanks to heavy rain.

The team flew over the site but could not see any structure in the area.

The AL advisory board member said they presented a report to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the outcomes of their visit.

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=18605

Tipai dam will spell humanitarian disaster: LSE meet

2009-08-11T19:31:00.001+07:00

Syed Nahas Pasha, London
Aug 11 (bdnews24.com)

The planned unilateral construction of Tipaimukh Dam by India will have serious environmental, ecological, social and economic effects on the millions of people of Bangladesh and northeastern India, speakers at a conference at the London School of Economics warned.

The conference, dubbed world forum, of the Voice for Justice World Forum on Sunday in London called upon the governments of Bangladesh and India to enter into a joint feasibility study before construction of any dam for a fair and equitable solution to the impending environmental catastrophe.

It also underlined that as an upper riparian country India has a clear moral and legal obligation to consult Bangladesh before building any such dam.

Convenor of the World Forum of the Voice For Justice, a global human-rights and justice organisation, Dr Hasanat Hussain MBE chaired the conference.

British treasury minister Stephen Timms congratulated the organisers for convening its world forum in London. He told the conference that the British government will always stand by the oppressed all over the world and work with people's organisations such as VFJ to promote human rights and justice for the poor and marginalised.

This was the first world forum of VFJ convened at the London School of Economics by a coalition of its European, US, Canadian and Asian chapters. It was participated, among others, by expatriate Bangladeshi academicians, experts, VFJ members and a wide cross-section of people from the British-Bangladeshi community in the UK.

Abdul Moyeen Khan, former planning and science minister, and Sabih Uddin, former Bangladesh high commissioner to the UK, participated in the discussion via internet.

Concerns were raised at the conference that the possible construction of any such obstruction to common rivers will create humanitarian crisis for millions of people who depend on the rivers Surma and Kushiara.

A paper was also presented at the conference by Dr K M A Malik of University of Cardiff on Climate Change in South Asia with special reference to Bangladesh.

The conference also deliberated on two separate papers on 'Rights of Migrants Workers in Gulf States' and 'Women's rights in Islam' presented by Dr Mahbub Khan of California State University and Hasan Mahmud, sirector of Sharia Law of Muslim Canadian Congress, respectively.

Speakers stressed formal bilateral agreements between Bangladesh and other migrant-sending states with the migrant-receiving states in the Gulf, where serious allegations of violation of human rights and dignity of migrant works have been widespread.

The conference called specially upon the migrant-receiving governments to respect and prioritise the human rights of migrant workers who contribute to their economies and also bring back millions of dollars in remittances for their home countries, and yet receive very little in minimum wages, working conditions, and job security in the host country.

In his paper on women's rights and Sharia, Hasan Mahmud reaffirmed that Islam and the authentic Sharia promote and protect women's right in a most equitable and just manner.

He regretted that the misinterpretation and distortion of these laws over time due to social and cultural biases have led to discriminatory treatment of women in many societies.

Professor Anthony Booth, head of International Education, Christchurch University, Kent, UK, Prof. Shamsul Islam Choudhury of Roosevelt University, US, Dr. Abdur Rahman and Dr. Zakia Rahman of Limmeric University, Ireland, Dr. Stephanie Eaton of Kingston University, UK, Luthfur Rahman Choudhury and joint convenors of the World Forum of Voice For Justice from London, Kent, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Newcastle joined in the question and answer sessions at the end.

Bangladesh will mount 'mass movement' against Indian dam: Delwar

2009-08-10T17:55:00.000+07:00

Dhaka, August 9 (bdnews24.com)

Secretary-general of the main opposition BNP, Khandakar Delwar Hossain, said on Sunday Bangladesh would mount a "mass movement" against India's planned Tipaimukh dam if it pressed ahead with the controversial project.

"We must thwart India's plan to set up this death-trap for Bangladesh, which is called the Tipaimukh dam," Delwar told a meeting on the dam at the National Press Club.

He said BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia would lead a movement to raise public awareness throughout the country against India's plan to build what they say is solely a hydro-electric dam in the north-eastern state of Manipur.

"We have been saying 'no' to Tipai in all meetings of the joint-rivers commission, while the Awami League never said a word about it during the whole 1996-2001 period," said Delwar.

In 1972, the head of the then government Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave his blessing to India's commissioning of the Farakka barrage, he said.

As a result, Delwar said, the north-western region of Bangladesh is suffering from depleted water bodies and reduced biodiversity.

Delwar claimed India wished to see Bangladesh become a "crippled and ineffective state".

He also raised the issue of the partial withdrawal of troops from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, saying he strongly opposed a call from Santu Larma, leader of the Parbottay Chattogram Jona Sanghati Somiti (PCJSS), for a complete withdrawal of military forces from the area.

"Santu Larma, the erstwhile leader of the hill region's militants, is now demanding a total military pullout.

"After that what happens, if the old problems return who will quell the unrest?" said Delwar.

"People from the hill regions work and live throughout Bangladesh. We have not confined them only to the hill districts," he said.

Dr SI Khan, introducing himself as an environment and water specialist, presented the keynote paper of the discussion.

Khan, in his paper titled 'Tipaimukh poses a death trap for Bangladesh', said, if built, the dam would jeopardise downstream water bodies, bio-systems and settlements.

Rise above party interest Nizami urges govt

2009-08-10T17:53:00.001+07:00

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami yesterday said if India constructs the Tipaimukh dam then it will bring more disastrous effects in the country than Farakka barrage.

"Please do not politicise the Tipaimukh issue. I call upon the government to stand above petty party interest on this issue as it relates in the interest of the country and the people," he said at a rally at the site of Kin Bridge of the river Surma in Sylhet on the occasion of ' boa march in protest against the India's move to construct the dam.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman, member of Jamaat central executive council and district in charge presided over the programme.

The Ameer of jamaat called upon the Government to take initiative so the neighbouring country could not construct the dam.

It was also attended, among others, by Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Secretary General, assistant secretary general ATM Azhrul Islam, Dhaka city party president Moulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, Mia Goalm Parwar, Ameer of Khulna jamaat, Ataur Rahman, district ameer of Rajshai, Sishir Muhammad Munir of Chhatra Shibir and Dildar Uddin and Nasim Hossain of BNP.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/10/news0330.htm

Villagers uneasy with Tipaimukh dam

2009-08-09T16:21:00.002+07:00

Imphal, August 08 2009

Villagers hanging of facing displacement by the construction of Tipaimukh dam are leading sleepless and uneasiness on thinking of their future life after the coming up of the dam.

Manipur government, as a joint undertaking with Sultez Jal Bitan Nigam Limited and National Hydro-Electricity Project Corporation (NHEPC) is taking up the work of construction of Tipaimukh dam at an estimated cost of Rs 900 crore.

The dam of height 162.8 meter which would be constructed at the joining point of Barak River and Tuibai River located at border between Manipur and Mizoram will submerged not only the villages in the Tipaimukh area but also in the surrounding places.

Villagers are feeling fear of losing their dwelling places and snatched away of their living ways.

In an interaction with the some villagers of villages located 326 kilometer from Imphal in interior Churachandpur district like Tipaimukh and Lungthulien villages, expressed strong opposition to the construction of the dam on backdrop of displacing them.

Ramingthang, a village fisherman said they the people of the area are living by earning livelihood with fishing at Barak and Tubai rivers and with the produces collected by the forest nearby.

They used to sale fishes and forest produces at markets at Jiribam, Silcher and other nearest markets places.

They run the family with the income earn by selling these items.

In short, Barak river is the main source of livelihood.

The erection of the dam will amount to cut the livelihood of the people apart from submerging some of the villages into the water.

They will be displaced, Ramingthang said citing the reason behind their strong opposition to the construction of the dam.

The villagers of Lungthulien and Parbung also expressed their opposition to the construction of dam stating that it will give a great impact to the Hmar people living in the area.

They also blamed the government taking up works for construction of the dam despite knowing the impact and loser to be received by the people.

Secretary of Parbung village, Laleng Lien said 75 percent of the total area of Parbung village will be affected by the dam.

Their fields will also submerged under water once the dam is erected.

Fertile lands where villagers are producing, pepper, cotton, thoiding, tobacco leave and fruits will be submerged for forever cutting the living earning lands of the people, he said.

They had also mentioned the hardships to be faced by the people by the dam during the public hearing also, he recalled asking what kind of report has been put up by the authority contradicting to the people opinion.

Since the government decided to construction the dam, villagers of Tipaimukh, Sipuikon, Lungthulen, Robokot, Taithu, Torbung, H Maulien, Thingpan and Parbung etc.

Source: Hueiyen News Service / Lenin Wangkheirakpam

Build nat'l unity on Tipai issue: Speakers at dialogue asks govt, opposition

2009-08-09T16:19:00.001+07:00

Staff Correspondent

The government and the opposition parties should forge national unity against India's proposed construction of Tipaimukh dam, said speakers at a BBC dialogue yesterday.

Besides, they noted, the country should be bold in maritime boundary talks with India and Myanmar to protect its marine resources.

The speakers criticised the government for delaying holding the trial of war criminals and politicising withdrawal of the cases filed for “political harassment”.

They said the government is withdrawing only the cases against the ruling Awami League leaders.

State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam however dismissed the allegations.

He said that on the basis of the expert committee's report, the government will take every step necessary to stop construction of Tipaimukh dam and protect marine wealth.

He said the administration is taking time to begin the war crime trial because it is cautious to avoid any setback in the process and ensure international standards.

"We are pledge-bound to hold the trial of war criminals. We are gathering evidence and mobilising international support and expertise in this regard," he continued.

The government is facing no pressure from any country on the trial issue.

He also said the cases against the opposition leaders too would be withdrawn if the scrutiny committee finds those to have been filed for harassment.

Former BNP state minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam, principal director of Angikar Bangladesh, a non-government organisation, and Amena Mohsin, professor of international relations at Dhaka University, also spoke at the dialogue arranged by BBC Bangla Service at the city's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=100638

Tipaimukh a 'public issue, not political'

2009-08-08T20:20:00.000+07:00

Dhaka, Aug 8 (bdnews24.com

Former TIB chairman Muzaffer Ahmed has said India's proposed Tipaimukh Dam project is a public issue, not a political one, and the government must make its decision on the matter taking account of public opinion.

"A decision should be made based on the opinions of the people and experts of Bangladesh and India. It will not be right to make any decision without the people," Muzaffer said on Saturday, inaugurating a long march programme from Dhaka to Sylhet.

"We will stand beside the government as long as it works for people's well-being. It is a public issue, not any political issue," he said.

He said environmental groups first began protesting against the controversial dam project in 2003 under the leadership of AMA Muhith, who is now finance minister.

The 'Tipaimukh Dam Resistance Committee' and Sylhet Bibhag Unnayan Parishad set out on the long march from Shaheed Minar in the capital at around 11am. The march will end on Aug 10 at Jakiganj in Sylhet.

Among others, committee president Abed Raja, Prof Syed Abul Maksud and Jukta Front chairman MA Latif Majumder also spoke.

India's contentious dam project is planned to cross the Barak River, which enters into Bangladesh as the Surma and Kushiara rivers. The two rivers are lifeline for hundreds of water bodies in the greater Sylhet region of Bangladesh.

A parliamentary standing committee went to India on July 29 to meet with Indian foreign and energy ministers and visit the dam site, but failed to land at the site due to bad weather.

Delegation head Abdur Razzak MP said on return from India that the ministers had assured them that they would not implement any project to harm Bangladesh.

Delegations members said India is yet to start any construction at Tipaimukh.

The delegation's main aim, Razzak told bdnews24.com before leaving for India, was to obtain India's firm word that the dam would not be used for irrigation purposes that could divert precious water resources from Bangladesh.

India had already said on a number of occasions the dam would not withhold water, but environmentalists and the people of Bangladesh, as well as Manipur state, remain concerned over the impact of the projected dam in vulnerable downstream areas.

Disclose Tipaimukh team's report: Hafiz

2009-08-08T17:49:00.002+07:00

Dhaka, (bdnews24.com)

BNP leader Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has asked the government to disclose the report submitted by the parliamentary team that visited the proposed Tipaimukh Dam project site in India.

Hafiz, also a former water resources minister, said the expert committee, set to be formed at the instruction of the prime minister, should be free from party bias to be able to gauge the possible adverse impacts of Tipaimukh hydropower dam.

An expert committee is set to review the findings of a parliamentary delegation on India's Tipaimukh Dam project, along with all other available data, and give a thorough assessment of the project's likely impact on Bangladesh.

Abdur Razzak, who led the delegation to India to gather the data, told bdnews24.com on Thursday that they had submitted a report to the prime minister of their findings on the trip.

Razzak, also a former water resources minister who heads the parliamentary standing committee on water resources, returned from New Delhi just two days ago.

He said his team had sought further relevant information and Indian government officials had agreed to provide Dhaka with all it required.

BNP vice-president Hafiz said, "We had asked the Indian authority for Tipaimukh information several times in the last 31 years, but they did not provide that.

"Now the one-party parliamentary committee says they have brought along the data . So it must be disclosed to the people."

BNP did not name any member for the parliamentary committee since its proposed experts were not included in the committee.

Hafiz said, "The government has formed a one-sided committee. Now the prime minister has ordered the constitution of an expert committee. We want a committee whose members are widely accepted."

He again suggested that the Bangladesh-India Joint River Commission discuss the contentious issue.

"There is no instance of a national issue of this magnitude resolved by a parliamentary committee. The water resources ministry and the JRC should be employed to discuss the issue with India."

"That's why we are saying that the government should convene the JRC meeting. An expert opinion is urgent over the Tipaimukh project."

He also criticised the committee for being convinced that the dam project will not threaten Bangladesh's interests without being on the site in the first place.

"Their statement is unacceptable to people. What [the Indians] say they had said so during the construction of the [Farakka barrage].

"Now people know what the condition in the northern region is. The Tipaimukh dam will spell disaster not only for the Bangladeshis, but also for the northeastern people of India," Hafiz added.

The site is on the cross-border Barak River, which enters into Bangladesh as the Surma and Kushiara rivers. The two rivers are lifeline for hundreds of water bodies in the greater Sylhet region of Bangladesh.

The team failed to visit the site on two attempts, on July 31 and Aug 2, as their helicopter could not land due to bad weather. But, they said, they had been able to view the site from the air.

It met with the India's foreign and power ministers.

Delegations members said India was yet to start any construction at Tipaimukh. Three members said they believed the project's future was "not even certain." One member said the project site was so mountainous that it was "almost impossible to take construction materials there".

The delegation's main aim, Razzak told bdnews24.com before leaving for India, was to obtain India's firm word that the dam would not be used for irrigation purposes that could divert precious water resources from Bangladesh.

India had already said on a number of occasions the dam would not withhold water, but environmentalists and the people of Bangladesh, as well as Manipur state, remain concerned over the probable impact of the contentious project.

BNP, the main opposition party, has also been among the loudest critics of the proposed Indian dam, although they failed to take up the offer of sending two MPs as part of the parliamentary delegation to India.

Tipai issue a life and death problem: Suranjit

2009-08-08T17:48:00.002+07:00

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a seminar yesterday said that after visiting the Tipaimukh Dam site, the parliamentary delegation could not play any positive role on the issue in the interest of the country.

They also said that the existence of the country will be under threat if the construction of the dam is completed on Borak River at the upper reaches of the rivers Surma and Kushiara.

The seminar on 'Tipaimukh Dam by India and Bangladesh: Resolve' was held at the National Press Club in the city organised by Jalalsbad Association, Dhaka.

Presided over by President of the organisation Dr CM Delwar Rana, the programme was addressed, among others, by AL leader and Chairman of standing committee on Law, Justice and Parliament Affairs Ministry Suranjit Sen Guptha, BNP leader and former minister Maj (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, BNP leaders and former state ministers Ebadur Rahman Chowdhury and Enam Ahmed Chowdhury, AL lawmakers Hafiz Ahmed Majumder and Md Motiur Rahman, former director general of Haor Development Board Engineer Md Enamul Haque and water expert Engineer Masrurul Haque Siddique.

Suranjit said that there is no politics on Tipaimukh dam issue saying that the dam is life and death question for us.

He also said that 2 crore people of Haor areas of the country would be vulnerable directly if the dam is constructed. So the dam issue has to be resolved properly, he added.

Hafiz Uddin said that sending parliamentary delegation to visit Tipaimukh dam site was a wrong decision of the government.

He further urged the Government to immediately make public the

data and information about the dam if the Indian government has given those to the Bangladeshi parliamentary delegation during their recent visit.

Chairman of Bangladesh Unnyan Parishad Kazi Kholiquzzaman delivered a keynote paper at the seminar.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/08/news0146.htm

Tipaimukh Long March begins today

2009-08-08T17:31:00.000+07:00

Staff Reporter

In protest against the construction of Tipaimukh dam across the river Borak in Monipur state of India, a 3-day Long March towards the dam will start today at 10.00 am from the Central Shaheed Minar in the city.

Jointly organised by Tipaimukh Dam Prevention Committee (TDPC) and Sylhet Division Development Action Council (SDDAC), the long march will be inaugurated by former chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Prof Mozaffar Ahmed.

Leaders of different political parties and social organisatios, academicians, environment experts, students and people of different professions are expected to participate in the programme to press the Indian government to stop the construction of the dam.

Convener of TDPC and President of SDDAC Advocate Abed Raza told reporters that the route of the car-driven caravan would be Dhaka-Kulaura-Sylhet- Zakiganj-Tipaimukh in India.

He informed that the Committee would also hold street meetings at over 500 places at the route of Dhaka-Sylhet-Zakigonj and would reach Zakigonj upozila heaheadquarters on August 10 at about 2.00 pm.

He further informed that they would organise a mass gathering at Zakigonj. After the gathering they will march towards Tipaimukh Dam in Monipur state crossing the border, he said.

He informed that all preparations to implement the long march had been taken and he hoped that a large number of the people will participate in the programme.

'We informed the Indian High Commisssion in Dhaka to open the border of Zakigonj on August 10 for the marchers to implement the programme peacefully.' he said.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/08/news0138.htm

India secretly hands over Tipai project to state-owned entity

2009-08-07T19:28:00.001+07:00

Moinuddin Naser

Just prior to the visit of the Bangladesh parliamentary team to India to discuss the Tipaimukh dam issue, India's state-owned hydro-electric entity National Hydel Power Company (NHPC) completed a deal on takeover of the 1,500 mw Tipaimukh hydel project involving Rs 9,000 crore in Manipur from the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO).

The NHPC also initiated a joint venture, Loktak Downstream Project, with the Manipur state government to construct a barrage for withdrawal of water for irrigation purpose. The hydel project with a barrage component will definitely turn Bangladesh's north-eastern part into a dry region. It is feared that the Bangladesh parliamentary team was not allowed to land at Tipaimukh as the barrage component of the project could be exposed. Though India cares a little about Bangladesh's endorsement regarding the project, they do not want to give the chance of raising a hue and cry on this issue. The NHPC has also entered into talks with the Nepali government for taking up new hydro-electric projects there, which will obstruct the normal flow of the Himalayan rivers enormously.

According to knowledgeable sources, this development in implementing the Tipaimukh Project has made the whole exercise of negotiation between India and Bangladesh over the Tipaimukh project a kind of hoax. India is more than adamant in implementing the project by giving a damn to the demand and the necessity of Bangladesh.

According to a report published in the Indian Economic Times on July 22, 2009 NHPC chairman and managing director Mr S K Garg confirmed the developments relating to implementing the Tipaimukh Dam and said: "The project Tipaimukh will now be developed jointly by NHPC, SJVL (a joint venture) and the Manipur government. This project's foundation stone was laid in 2006 but nothing else has happened since then. This forced the state government to hand it over to NHPC."

"The Manipur government has decided to hand over the project to NHPC. We will hold 69 per cent stake in the company, while SJVL will be holding another 26 per cent. The Manipur government, on the other hand, will hold the remaining 5 per cent stake in the new JV," he added.

The project is estimated to cost about Rs 9,000 crore and NEEPCO, which had originally conceived the idea of the hydel plant, already invested about Rs 5-6 crore in preparing the detailed project report, which has also been approved.

Incidentally, the NHPC has recently formed the other 74:26 JV, Loktak Downstream Project, with the Manipur government for a 66mw project.

Interestingly, the Economic Times report added: The hydel power company has firmed up investments of Rs 70,000 crore till 2020 to emerge a 20,000 mw power company. During the current Five-Year Plan period, NHPC has firmed up plans of investing about Rs 21,000 crore in 11 projects totalling 4,622 mw. During the 12th Plan period, it will take up 16 new projects totalling 14,000 mw, which will require a total investment of Rs 70,000 crore.

However, completion of these 16 projects is likely to linger to the 13th Plan period. "During the 12th Plan period, we will spend about Rs 30,000 crore, of which 70 percent will come from debt, while the rest will be in the form of equity."

"The Centre has allowed the NHPC to divest maximum 24 per cent stake. Next month, when the IPO hits the market, the government's holding will come down to 86.3 per cent. The rest of 10 per cent will be done as and when we require additional funds for our projects," said Mr Garg.

Water resources expert and Adjunct Professor of the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Dr M Monirul Quader Mirza, said that prior to allowing India to implement the projects certain issues must be resolved. He stressed the need for calling a meeting of the Joint River Commission (JRC) immediately to discuss the issue of Tipaimukh. He said there is no need of any new proposal for a joint study of the Tipaimukh Project, or there is no time to waste for Bangladesh government, rather the problems might be resolved if the JRC could be activated. The decision that was taken in the 14th JRC meeting should be implemented to resolve the issue.

He also said that Bangladesh should enter into an agreement with India on the Fulertal Barrage, water sharing. The water sharing should not be less than the ecological water requirements.

Monipur HPC

The Hmar People's Convention (D) of Monipur in a press release issued on July 28 last said the proposed Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project is a war imposed on the indigenous Hmar people and various other communities, who share the river downstream as well as upstream.

The power-hungry governments and dam builders in India, who were driven by capitalist interests, in their blind pursuit for profit-making and securing energy in a distant foreign land, are poised to cross into indigenous people's territory to dam the two rivers, Tuiruong and Tuivai, their lifeline. They don't have the approval and consent of the people, in whose land the dam is proposed. We are closely watching their every move, it said.

The HPC (D) shall never tolerate and allow their efforts to bear any fruit, it added. The statement said: The rivers that nursed and fed our honoured generations before shall continue to flow for all the generations to come. We cannot allow the rivers to be disturbed and are obligated to see that no outsiders, their forces and might will dam, destroy or disturb the natural flow of the rivers of life.

It also appealed to the visiting Bangladeshi parliamentary delegates to steadfastly share the concern to save the rivers Tuiruong and Tuivai for all purposes; to work together for collective good; to save the rivers from irreparable damage. The HPC(D) earlier was also responsible for destroying NEEPCO's drilling machine in 2008, said a release from Lalthutlung Hmar, northern command of the Hmar Peoples Convention (Democratic).

Rally in the US

Meanwhile, the Human Rights and Development for Bangladesh held a massive demonstration on July 17 after Jumma prayer in front of the United Nations to protest the Tipaimukh Dam. More than 600 people from New York participated. Among others, the demonstration was addressed by community activists Badrunnahar Mita, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Mir Masum Ali, Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, Abu Samiha Md Sirajyul Islam, Professor Nurul Islam, Abdul Kadir Khan, Barrister Golam Mostafa, Mahmudur Rahman, Moulana Delwar Hossen and others.

A memorandum was also handed over to the United Nations on behalf of the demonstrators afterwards.

Meanwhile, another activist, Khondaker Abu Sufiyan organised a seminar in association with the International Centre for Advancement of Bangladesh (ICAB) and another organisation floated by a section of Bangladeshi engineers living in the USA on July 26 last at the Jewish Community Centre in Jackson Heights of New York.

Source: http://deshcalling.blogspot.com/2009/08/india-secretly-hands-over-tipai-project.html

JS team's visit to Tipaimukh

2009-08-07T19:24:00.000+07:00

THE parliamentary team that visited Delhi has reportedly been convinced that the Tipaimukh Dam was not going to have any adverse impact on the Bangladesh part of the Borak-Meghna river basin. They are said to have been assured that India will not do anything inimical to Bangladesh's interests in terms of river system or ecological problem. The team members stayed most of the time in Delhi where they were briefed by the Indian ministers; they could not visit the site reportedly for unfavourable weather.

More than sixty percent of the Barak-Meghna basin lies within Bangladesh. No assessment of Tipaimukh impacts on this part of the basin has yet been made. A joint study proposed by Bangladesh has not taken place. While experts need years to assess the environmental, ecological and economic impacts of such a big project, the team took only three days to come to a conclusion. Then, what is the magic that a short briefing convinced the team? Their over-optimistic statement does not sound convincing. People naturally have the right to ask if this is the position of the government on the proposed Tipaimukh Dam.

Any form of human intervention on natural systems leads to unforeseen consequences like the death of the Sundri trees in the Sundarbans caused by increased salinity as a result of withdrawal of the Ganges water at upstream that led to the death of 30 rivers. Such consequences could not be imagined when the Farakka Barrage was commissioned in 1975. The Tipaimukh Project is being pursued at a time when the US and Europe are decommissioning dams to revive the rivers damaged by those.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/06/news0043.htm

Jamaat's boat march towards Tipai dam Aug 9

2009-08-07T19:23:00.001+07:00

Staff Reporter

The Sylhet unit of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has chalked out a unique programme to protest the construction of Tipaimukh dam across the river Borak in Monipur state of India.

The party will lead a boat march towards Tipaimukh dam from Sunamgonj district headquarters on August 9 at 9.00 am.

Convener of the Boat March Committee and former lawmaker Farid Uddin Chowdhury told reporters that the route of the boat caravan will be Sunamgonj-Sylhet-Kanaighat-Zakiganj-Tipaimukh.

The party will also hold meeting at 10 places on the bank of the Surma River including Chatak, Sylhet Keen Bridge, Kanaighat and Zakigonj upazila headquarters and Amalshid border, he said.

Central leaders of the party are expected to participate in the programme. Local leaders and workers are now taking preparations for the success of the boat march programme.

Meanwhile, a Road March towards Zakigonj in Sylhet began yesterday from Dhaka with a call for the success of the 3-day long march towards Tipaimukh, which will be started on August 8 from the Central Shaheed Minar in the city to press the Indian government to stop the construction of the dam.

Jointly organised by Tipaimukh Dam Prevention Committee (TDPC) and Sylhet Division Development Action Council (SDDAC), the road march was inaugurated by prominent language veteran Abdul Matin in front of the National Press Club in the city.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/08/05/news0958.htm

Information Please

2009-08-07T19:19:00.001+07:00

Information Please Nazrul Islam lays out what we need to know and do about the Tipaimukh Dam

Tipaimukh Dam is not an isolated project; it is part of a comprehensive Indian plan of using rivers that flow from India into Bangladesh, and, hence, needs to be viewed in the general context of sharing of international rivers by these two countries.

In general, India has been using its upper riparian position and its economic and financial strength to take unilateral steps with regard to the flow of these international rivers. Most of these unilateral steps have been of diversionary character, diverting the water flow to destinations inside India and thus reducing the flow of water into the rivers of Bangladesh.

Glaring examples of such diversionary interventions are the Farakka Barrage on the Ganges and the Gozaldoba Barrage on the Teesta. India has undertaken numerous other diversionary and flow-controlling structures on most of the 54 rivers shared by Bangladesh and India.

These diversionary projects of India go against the international norms regarding sharing of international rivers. In particular, they violate Bangladesh's right to prior and customary use of river water. The entire economy and life in Bangladesh have evolved on the basis of rivers. Any major change in the flow of these rivers is, therefore, seriously disruptive for Bangladesh. Furthermore, river intervention structures affect the flow of sediments, which are vital for deltaic Bangladesh, which is facing submergence by rising sea level caused by global warming.

There is pent up emotion among Bangladeshi's against India's unilateral river intervention projects. They perceive projects such as Farakka, Gozaldoba, etc. as unfair and as proof of India's hubris. These unilateral projects are also a thorn in Bangladesh-India bilateral relations, which should be warm and friendly given India's crucial help in Bangladesh's Liberation War;

After a long hiatus, Bangladesh and India signed the Ganges Water Treaty in 1996, specifying the sharing of the Ganges water at Farakka. Article IX of this treaty enjoins India not to undertake unilateral projects intervening rivers shared with Bangladesh. In practice, India has not respected this provision of the treaty and moved ahead with many unilateral projects.

Tipaimukh is one such unilateral project aimed at construction of a dam on the Barak River. India went all the way to floating international tender inviting bids for construction of the project without even sharing the DPR (Detailed Project Report) with Bangladesh. Only recently, when the news of construction of Tipaimukh generated considerable civic protest in Bangladesh, has the government of India (GoI) reportedly sent some information to the Bangladesh foreign ministry, which the government of Bangladesh (GoB) is yet to make public.

The GoB has not proved effective in dealing with India with regard to Tipaimukh, or in the case of sharing of rivers in general. It did not take up the Tipaimukh issue with India in a serious and timely manner. In particular, the current opposition political parties did not play their expected role while in power during 2001-2006, when India moved Tipaimukh from conception to the implementation stage.

The current GoB has decided to send a delegation of the Bangladesh parliament on a fact-finding mission, and the prime minister has stated that GoB will decide on Tipaimukh after studying the report of that delegation.

Unfortunately, various Bangladesh ministers are expressing opinions that are peremptory and contradict Bangladesh's official position as expressed by the prime minister, and are thus creating confusion.

It is possible that Tipaimukh will help to stabilise the Barak flow across seasons, as pointed out by some water experts and reflected in some of the ministers' statements. However, there are many reasons why the suggested across-season flow-stabilisation may not hold true and be beneficial for Bangladesh.

First, Bangladesh does not yet have the necessary facts to assess the changes in Barak flow to be caused by Tipaimukh.

Second, dams can also be a source of destabilisation, not only in the extreme situation of dam-break, but also in the often recurring situation when the excess water needs to be released to protect the dam from overflow. Such unplanned releases lead to unexpected floods. For example, the unusual 2008 floods in Bihar were caused by unexpected release of water by the dams that India has constructed on the Ganges tributaries near Nepal.

Third, for Bangladesh to benefit from stabilisation of the Barak flow, it has to have a say in the release of water at Tipaimukh. This would suggest that Tipaimukh should be under joint control of India and Bangladesh. As of now, Tipaimukh will be entirely under Indian control, and the water release decisions will be made by India alone, putting Bangladesh at the mercy of the Indian officials operating Tipaimukh. Such a helpless situation is not in Bangladesh's interests.

Fourth, river flow contains not only water but also sediments, which are very important for deltaic Bangladesh. One damaging impact of Tipaimukh will be reduced sediment volume in the Barak flow.

Fifth, Bangladesh has to assess the costs and benefits for her economy of the seasonal changes in the Barak flow caused by Tipaimukh. For example, boro, which is cultivated in the haor areas that become dry in winter, is the main crop for many in the Surma-Kushiara basin. If Tipaimukh increases winter flow, cultivation of boro in these areas may not be possible. Without detailed studies it is difficult to say whether the net economic impact of the cross-season stabilisation of the Barak flow will be positive for Bangladesh.

Sixth, there is also the issue of ecology to consider. The flora and fauna of the Surma-Kushiara-Meghna basin have developed on the basis of a certain seasonal pattern of the river flow. Detailed studies are necessary to gauge the environmental and ecological impact of Tipaimukh.

The Tipaimukh dam project cannot be separated from the other project recommended by Shukla Commission, namely the Fulertal barrage project, meant to divert Barak water for irrigation in Assam. With a price tag of $1.8 billion, the Tipaimukh dam is currently uneconomical, because per unit cost of electricity, even assuming the advertised production of 1500 MW, will be too high. Thus, the costs of the dam can be justified only if it is viewed jointly with Fulertal or other such diversionary projects. However, a combination of Tipaimukh and Fulertal is completely unacceptable to Bangladesh, because such a duo will be another Farakka on the eastern side of the country.

Worldwide experience shows that large-scale interventions in rivers do not prove to be that beneficial in the long run. The hydropower generated often proves to be meagre and costly. The irrigation carried out on the basis of diverted water often proves wasteful and leads to salinity and deterioration of the soil quality, so that diversionary projects end up harming not only the basin from which water is withdrawn but also the area to which water is transported (at a great cost). The reservoir submerges large areas of land, destroying the ecology and displacing thousands of (often most vulnerable) indigenous people, causing permanent problems of alienation and insurgency.

The reservoir also becomes a source of methane, undercutting the emission reducing potentiality of the hydropower generated. The reservoir and the upstream flow often become a cesspool of pollution. Dams obstruct sediment flow and the free movement fish stock. While many of the damages prove to the permanent, dams themselves become obsolete due to sedimentation, filling up of the reservoir, etc.

In view of these negative consequences many are now sceptical about dams, barrages and other large-scale river intervention projects. It is an open question whether Tipaimukh dam will be beneficial in the long run and in net terms even for India.

Many in India are opposed to the Tipaimukh dam. They include, indigenous people, state governments of Manipur and Mizoram, environmentalists, river activists, human right advocates, and even economists and social scientists. By providing various monetary benefits and offering free electricity, etc., the North East Electricity Production Company (NEEPCO), the current Tipaimukh implementing agency, has been able to pacify the state governments. However, in India, opposition to Tipaimukh continues.

River intervention structures have generally been the outcome of the commercial approach to rivers, that suggests that any flow of river water to the sea is a waste, so all of it should be used up. The approach led to degradation of rivers and increased conflict and animosity among countries of the river basin. In view of this experience, there is now a move towards the ecological approach that recommends preservation of the natural volume and direction of river flow. Instead of being a source of discord, as is the case under the commercial approach, rivers under the ecological approach become a bond of friendship and good neighborliness.

Worldwide, there is also a move away from the unilateral approach toward a multilateral, basin-wide approach that includes all the countries of a river basin in decision-making regarding the use of the river.

The tasks that follow from the above facts are:

India should stop proceeding any further with Tipaimukh, and engage in serious, sincere discussions with Bangladesh about the fate of this and all other projects of intervention in the shared international rivers.

India should abandon its current unilateral approach and adopts a multi-lateral, basin-wide integrated water resources management approach to the rivers of the region, and invite Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and China to join this effort.

India should not undertake water diversionary project (such as at Fulertal or at other points) on the Barak river under any circumstances.

India should refrain from water diversionary projects on other rivers shared with Bangladesh.

Bangladesh, India, and the other countries of the sub-continent should abandon the current commercial approach to rivers and to adopt the ecological approach.

GoB should immediately make public the information that it has received from GoI on Tipaimukh so that all interested parties and scholars can use this information for necessary analysis.

GoB should sponsor independent research by Bangladeshi experts on the possible impact of Tipaimukh on Bangladesh economy and ecology.

All Bangladesh political parties should adopt a non-partisan approach to the Tipaimukh issue, and issues of water sharing with India in general, and cooperate to develop a united national position on those.

All political parties should lend cooperation to GoB, to the extent that it sincerely tries to find a solution with India regarding Tipaimukh, defending Bangladeshs national interests and legitimate rights.

All political parties represented in the Parliament should join the proposed all-party delegation of Bangladesh Parliament to visit Tipaimukh to find out the facts and submit a report.

Citizens of Bangladesh should join en masse the developing civic movement to save the rivers of the country.

All concerned in Bangladesh, including political parties, civil society organisations, NGOs, think tanks, media, mass organisations, local people's organisations, non-resident Bangladeshis, etc., should come together, leaving aside narrow partisan and sectarian interests, and develop and rally behind a united national position regarding Tipaimukh and other river sharing issues, as Bangladesh needs national unity in order to defend its rivers.

Dr. Nazrul Islam is a former Professor of Economics, Dhaka University.
Today's Paper

India, Bangladesh: Dam Diplomacy

2009-08-07T19:12:00.001+07:00

As India and Bangladesh engage in a heated debate about an Indian-planned dam project, experts disagree about the consequences for Bangladeshi people and the environment, Animesh Roul reports for ISN Security Watch.

By Animesh Roul in New Delhi for ISN Security Watch

Never before have water-sharing issues caused so much controversy in South Asia as the proposed Tipaimukh dam project over the Barack river in India’s northeast has. The river flows westward, merging into the Meghna river system in neighboring Bangladesh.

India’s plan to build a multipurpose hydroelectric dam over the river has caused heated political debate and has become the cause du jour of civil society movements in Bangladesh who fear its environmental and economic repercussions.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, recently speaking to reporters from the sideline of a Dhaka conference, indicated that "if the Tipaimukh dam goes against the interests of Bangladesh, [we] will do whatever is necessary to protect national interests."

Moni has rebuked Indian envoy Pinak Ranjan Chakravarti for referring to Bangladesh environmentalists as “so-called experts” and accusing them of being politically motivated. Chakravarti’s off-the-cuff remarks created an uproar in Bangladesh and triggered protests outside the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, where demonstrators burned his effigy.

Differing perceptions

The North Eastern Electric Power Corp (NEEPCO) is in charge of the $1.7 billion project, which aims to generate 1,500 megawatts of hydroelectric power. But experts disagree on the purpose of the dam and its eventual impact.

The perception prevails in Bangladesh that their larger neighbor is carrying out the project without any consultation with the lower riparian state and that ultimately the proposed dam will have a severe ecological impact that could lead to the desertification of eastern Bangladesh.

India argues that since the Tipaimukh dam would be used for hydroelectric power generation and not for irrigation, it would not cause any negative consequences downstream or any ecological harm to Bangladesh.

Ainun Nishat, country director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Bangladesh (IUCN), was recently quoted on BDNews24.com as saying that “the construction of [the] Tipaimukh dam will reduce the natural monsoon flood patterns of the area on which cultivation depends.”

"Even a hydroelectric project, which is not an irrigation project, can have pretty serious downstream impacts,” asserted Himanshu Thakkar of the New Delhi-based South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People (SANDRAP).

Speaking to ISN Security Watch, he warned that “the project will have far-reaching adverse impacts on the environment upstream and downstream of the dam, and also will have a global effect due to the likelihood of the emission of massive quantities (yet to be assessed) of methane gas, which is a 21-times-more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

“The fear of serious downstream impacts prevalent in Bangladesh is well founded, but the nature and quantum would depend on many factors, including the way the dam is operated,” Thakkar added.

“I have not heard of any dam, be it for irrigational or power generation, without any upstream and downstream impact,” said Manipur-based Ramananda Wangkheirakpam, the coordinator for North East People’s Alliance.

Wangkheirakpam is less cautious, telling ISN Security Watch that “the dam will inundate upstream in Manipur and create havoc across the border” and “India knows the impact.”

Farakka revisited

It is not the first time India and Bangladesh have clashed over dam issues. Ties have been strained over the sharing of Ganges water and the Farakka barrage in the past. Bangladesh faced a severe water scarcity due to the barrage, especially during winter season. However, in December 1996, a 30-year water-sharing agreement with conditions perceived as favoring India eased some of the brewing tensions.

Many in Bangladesh fear that the Tipaimukh dam will be another Farakka.

Scholar and activist Habib Siddiqui described the Tipaimukh project for the website The New Nation as likely another “death trap.” Muhammad Hillaluddin, coordinator and activist at the Dhaka-based Angikar Bangladesh Foundation, holds similar sentiments. “The Farakka barrage was thrusted upon the newly born Bangladesh in the early years of the 1970s, but now the situation has changed,” he told ISN Security Watch. “The resultant conflict will take severe form and be prolonged for many days to come.”

“So far, India does not seem to be taking the Bangladesh government and people into confidence about the project and its impacts,” Thakkar lamented.

But the dam is also opposed by some in India.

On 26 July, some 100 people gathered in the town of Lakhipur, in India's own Assam state, downstream from the Barak river, which environmentalists warn could end up under 10 meters of water should the proposed dam collapse. It is the first case in which downstream communities in India have protested the proposed dam.

Ecological blunder?

Environmental activists and experts from northeastern India and Bangladesh fear massive inundation of villages and clogging and drying up of the river systems if the ambitious Tipaimukh dam project is put in place.

The Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Dam (ACTIP), an umbrella group spearheading anti-dam protests in Manipur in March 2007 submitted a memorandum to the Indian government in protest against the project. ACTIP observed in their memorandum that nearly 285-square kilometers of land will be submerged under water if the project is implemented.

According to Hillaluddin, “the Haor wetlands of northeast Bangladesh engulfing almost one-sixth of the country will face water logging, due to the water level difference in the rivers in late monsoon, which will affect cultivation and commercial fisheries.”

Hillaluddin also fears that earthquakes could damage the massive structure of the along with its huge reservoir, resulting in “catastrophic consequences especially for the downstream districts of Bangladesh.”

Beyond physical environmental fears, Ramananda Wangkheirakpam foresees an “environment-induced conflict” in the region.

“There will be massive migration from Bangladesh due to the Tipaimukh project once it is operationalized and might contribute to the conflict between locals and Bangladeshis,” he cautioned.

Political floodwaters

The Tipaimukh issue figured in informal talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on the sideline of the 15th Non-Aligned Movement summit, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in July.

A section of the present Sheikh Hasina-led administration believes that India’s plan for hydropower generation could benefit the country.

But according to a high-ranking source close to the talks, there are “strong elements within the ruling Awami League (AL) that can pull down the Sheikh Hasina government if they sign any agreement with India” on the dam issue. Amid widespread opposition to the project at home, especially from the main opposition Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is blamed for ‘playing politics’ over the dam, and many environmental groups, Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina is quite optimistic for an amicable resolution of this contentious water sharing issue with India through talks soon.

But as Hillaluddin is less certain, saying the issue is extremely important and highly complicated, especially as experts across the board seem to strongly disagree as to the potential impact the dam will have on water resources, ecology and people.

Tipaimukh Dam Must Be Scrapped

2009-08-04T16:37:00.001+07:00

PressRelease

30July 2009

TheCommittee on Land and Natural Resource [(COLNAR) constituted by United NagaCouncil (UNC), Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), All Naga Student Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and Naga Women Union, Manipur (UWUM)], Citizen Concern for Dam and Development (CCDD) and Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Project (ACTIP) would like to express our reaffirmation that the Tipaimukh Damshould not be constructed without the free prior and informed consent of the indigenous peoples of all affected peoples in Manipur, Mizoram, Assam andfurther down in Bangladesh along the Barak River.

We would also like to express our condemnation to the environmental clearance accorded by the Ministry of Environment and Forest of the Government of Indiain end 2008 despite affected peoples vehement opposition to the public hearing son the proposed dam and also to the construction of Tipaimukh dam. The clearance despite the absence of a holistic and detailed impact assessment withdue rightful participation of affected peoples construes disrespect to the indigenous peoples call for respect of peoples’ rights over their land and resources.

The Tipaimukh dam to be built over Barak River, an international river, is now resisted from not all sides, upstream and downstream and the only supporter remains the government of India and the state of Manipur. The continuing and ongoing resistance against Tipaimukh dam, including the mass anti-dam mobilization in Bangladesh and the recent resolution against the dam in the Barak valley inAssam resolutely demands abandonment of the dam. Only a despot or a dictatorial government will continue with forceful implementation in defiance to peoples call for respect of their rights and justice.

CCDD,COLNAR and ACTIP will continue to fight against forceful damming of Barak river, we will defend against forceful dislocation of our peoples, resist any attempt to disregard and sacrilege our culture, economy and identity. In the past we have made it clear that our land and environment is crucial for the survival of civilizations that has grown with the river. Whether in the downstream or upstream, lives of all forms, the ecosystem, the economy, culture that has evolved with this river are critically going to be affected by this huge dam. Any form of compensation, compensatory forestation or other‘benefits’ cannot replace what has evolved over generations.

We are also keenly aware that this dam has already caused conflicts and misunderstandings between upstream and downstream, between India and Bangladesh, between communities and to an extent fracture within communities.The government is to be squarely blamed for these consequences.

Issues of downstream impact of dams are well known. Completely ignoring such impacts and overlooking those who live in the downstream of Barak river has now catapulted. As the people of Bangladesh, the communities living downstream of this imposed dam have every right to demand scrapping of this dam. Similar to the treatment to upstream communities, it is clear that the government and the dam authorities have complete disrespect of the rights and dignity of those who live downstream. The dam if built will stand to represent an example of are pressive development.

The Government of Manipur appreciably in the past have twice passed in the Assembly resolving that they will not allow the dam. But undemocratic processes that rules Manipur have led to the signing of MOU with NEEPCO, and now with NHPC without explaining to the people what these MOUs are, how they have passed and how they have changed their position since Assembly resolution in 1995 and1997. We urge the government to change its course on this dam.

On the visit of the Parliamentary Committee from Bangladesh, we definitely welcome them as representative of our neighbor if they are to come seeking to know more about the dam. However, we would respectfully urge them to desist from any unilateral agreement with India. By agreeing to this dam, impacts on the downstream in Bangladesh or in Assam nor in Manipur or Mizoram will go. We will continue to work with our friends living in downstream to stop this dam from coming up.

Finally,it is made known here that we will line up a series of events if this dam is not being scrapped immediately.

Signed

1.SAMSON REMEI
President,UNC
2.GRACE SHATSHANG
President,NWUM
3.O. BIKRAMJIT
Co-Convener,ACTIP
4.JOSEPH HMAR
Secretary,CCDD
5.PHAMHRING
Convener,NPMHR
pamei.rights@gmail.com

Tipai dam puts 70mln at risk: Indian campaigner

2009-08-03T19:13:00.000+07:00

Maruf Mallick
bdnews24.com environment correspondent

Dhaka, July 30 (bdnews24.com)

A veteran Indian campaigner has said the planned Tipaimukh Dam will put 70 million "at risk" in northeast India and Bangladesh and people of the region must co-ordinate efforts to safeguard sustainable development in the face of such projects.

Anastasia Cristalina Pinto, executive director of the Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE) in Manipur, told bdnews24.com, during a recent visit to Dhaka, the contentious dam also threatens to heighten existing tensions between the Indian government and ethnic groups in Manipur.

Environmental pressure groups in both Bangladesh and Manipur state have been voicing strong concern over the potential impact of the planned Indian dam in downstream areas.

The people of Manipur, and other northeastern states, are "justifiably unhappy" with the Indian government's development approach in the region, says Pinto, who has been working for the past two decades throughout India, including the northeast, on the vital role of local communities in sustainable development.

Her organisation CORE focuses on policy research and advocacy on the rights of the indigenous and tribal communities.

The Manipuri people's concerns over the Tipaimukh dam centre on displacement of communities and escalating conflicts as well as environmental impact, she said.

Bangladesh's concern is for the dam's downstream impact that threatens the environment and livelihoods of millions in the country's northeast Sylhet region.

A Bangladesh parliamentary delegation left Dhaka on July 29 to visit the site of the planned dam on the Barak River, which enters into Bangladesh as the Surma and Kushiara rivers.

The two rivers are lifelines for hundreds of water bodies in the greater Sylhet region.

India says the dam would not withhold water from Bangladesh as it is part of a power generation project and not intended for irrigation purposes.

Nevertheless, concerns remain.

Pinto told bdnews24.com on July 29, during her visit to Dhaka, there were more than 70 million people "at risk" from the project. "Not only in the northeast, but if you take the adjacent regions into consideration."

"The international community needs to be strongly alerted on this matter."

"It is really difficult to say what local people should do. They have been struggling on this issue already without any support for nearly 20 years," she said.

"Where is the international community? Where are the human rights groups, environmentalists and development activists, where are the donors? What are they doing?"

She called on the international community to help in "preventative action", not to wait until it was "too late".

'Cumulative impact'

"Because we are not talking about only one dam; we are talking about the cumulative impact of several such interventions," said Pinto.

She mentioned "future dams" along with "proposed uranium mines, the Trans-Asia highways and railways … to be built in one of the most ecologically and seismically sensitive zones in the world."

"There is very little assessment of cumulative future impacts. That is my concern," said the Manipur-based activist.

She said the Indian government has estimated just 1300 families will be displaced for the Tipaimukh dam.

"But then you calculate the displacement cost of the pan-Asian highway, railway, proposed mines and all the support and ancillary infrastructure that has to come up in order to support these."

"Now let's talk about how many people are being displaced."

"Let us look at the larger picture, what are the implications of such large scale displacement and reconstruction of environment and physical geography of such a sensitive zone on the out line areas. Nobody has calculated that," says Pinto.

"This is a disaster prone region already, now we are going to multiply that many times."

"For the last 30 years, this region, from the Bay of Bengal to the Himalayas, has also been experiencing growing impact of climate change. Now we are going to throw all this in to that basket."

'Bangladesh should join us in proper assessment'

"I think Bangladesh should try and cooperate with some of us to actually find the way of assessing what is the cumulative impact of this entire development programme taken together. Because nothing less than that is needed."

She suggested a co-operative non-government, scientific, bilateral board from northeast India and Bangladesh to assess the cumulative impact of "an entire range of projects" in the region over the next ten to fifteen years.

"Local people do not want this dam. They have been forced to deal with it. At some point the feat of the government of India becomes like an act of God, which we cannot protest. It is beyond our capacity to do anything more."

"Because we are a small population already suffering from … consequences of conflict."

"I am not saying anything very revolutionary; we have made complaints in this regard to various UN agencies and the human rights mechanism."

But, said Pinto, in the last few years international support for the northeast decreased.

"We are not asking the people to make a decision or assessment, we are asking for people to make a truly scientific investigation into the impact of these projects cumulatively taken together on a zone such as the northeast and its outlying areas," said Pintu.

'Heightened tensions'

Pinto's concern is also for Manipur's long-standing issues, including armed insurgency by separatist groups and inter-ethnic conflict, that have recently come to the fore with protests against the Tipaimukh Dam project.

The dam will heighten existing tensions between the central government and ethnic groups in the northeast state, she says.

"Of course it will accelerate conflicts. It's not something unique in the northeast where resources become appropriated by corporations or by large projects. Conflicts are escalating and proliferating."

"In the northeast we already have 106 or 108 armed groups," she told bdnews24.com.

Long-simmering tensions exist between the Indian government and people of the remote northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland, known collectively as the 'seven sisters'.

Much of the region, connected to the rest of India by a narrow strip of land known as the Siliguri Corridor, is ethnically and culturally different from the rest of India. The states have long accused New Delhi of ignoring the issues that concern them, plundering resources and doing little to improve their lives.

"Conflict is going to increase unless the government of India completely reverses its approach," said the development activist.

"Conflict between armed groups in India, conflict between armed groups with each other, all these are going to intensify and multiply due to the kind of development pathways … being adopted by the Indian government and in collaboration with others governments in the region who are not prepared say no," she said.

IOJ demands expulsion of Indian envoy

2009-08-03T18:38:00.000+07:00

Dhaka, Aug 3 (UNB)

Over one thousand people forming a human chain on Monday demanded expulsion of Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakraborty for violating the diplomatic norms and etiquette.

Under the banner of Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), the leaders announced a mass gathering on October 16 to press home the demand.

Chakraborty had recently made statements criticizing Bangladesh water experts for opposing the proposed Tipaimukh Dam across the Sylhet border and calling Indian visa seekers ‘touts’.

The human chain starting from south gate of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque extended to the High Court that lasted about an hour.

IOJ chairman Mufti Fazlul Haq Amini, secsatary genaral Maolana Abdul Latif Nezami and Dhaka city president Maolana Abul Kashem led the human chain and briefly spoke.

Amini said the Indian envoy had deliberately made the disgraceful remarks about the people of Bangladesh. The government manifested its subservient policy by not asking India to withdraw its High Commissioner.

He announced a programme of countrywide meetings and rallies to whip up the movement against the Indian High Commissioner for his audacity.

IOJ chief said they will launch a mass movement against the Tipaimukh Dam and Asian Highway.

Call JRC meeting over Tipaimukh issue: BNP

2009-08-03T17:59:00.000+07:00

Dhaka, Aug 2 (bdnews24.com)

In the wake of a parliamentary team's failure to visit the proposed Indian Tipaimukh dam site, the main opposition BNP on Sunday asked the government to call a meeting of Bangaldesh-India Joint River Commission to resolve the issue.

"Bangladesh has been asking for Tipaimukh project data for three decades but India has never heeded to the demand. And now the parliamentary team is returning without visiting the site," BNP vice president Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said on Sunday

"So the government now should immediately call a Joint River Commission meeting where the people's demand on Tipai dam will be discussed," the former water resources minister added.

Hafiz said BNP had repeatedly sought information about the dam project. On May 18, 1992, Bangladesh asked for data and again the BNP-led coalition government had twice objected to the project at the Joint River Commission meetings, he claimed.

"But the Indian government did not provide us the data."

About the 10-member parliamentary team failing to visit the site due to rough weather, the former minister said, "I would rather say they are returning empty handed."

"If their helicopter could not land because of inclement weather, they could have travelled to the site by road. The team could have waited a few more days to visit the site. I don't know why they did not do that."

"Perhaps, they used helicopter to avoid protest of the people of Monipur state," Hafiz said.

Environmental pressure groups in both Bangladesh and Manipur state have been voicing concern over the potential impact of the planned Indian hydropower dam in downstream areas in northeast India and Bangladesh.

Hafiz said the government had sent the team to allay fears of millions of people but the team failed in its mission.

"India will never provide the parliamentary team with data on the dam . If that country had any good intention, it could have placed them before Joint River Commission meeting."

He said that it was the only forum which included experts from both countries.

'National interest, India ties will be considered for Tipai solution'

2009-08-03T17:58:00.000+07:00

Dhaka, August 2 (bdnews24.com)

The government will seek a solution to the controversial Tipaimukh Dam issue ensuring that the national interest is not conceded and and the relations with India not harmed, state minister for water resources Mahbubur Rahman said on Sunday.

Rahman, appointed on Friday, said, for example, the 1996-2001 Awami League government had not decided to export gas to India despite being under intensepressure from the two visiting former US presidents.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina had not agreed to export gas without ensuring domestic supply for 50 years, he added.

"A parliamentary envoy has gone there (India) to discuss and that is the only way to resolve the matter. Everyone along with the prime minister is trying hard to fix the problem," said the junior minister on his first day in office.

He met with the officials and spoke to the media.

"I will try my best to meet the people's expectations as the prime minister conferred me the responsibility with confidence."

Bodies reaffirm opposition on Tipaimukh dam construction

2009-08-03T17:56:00.000+07:00

Hueiyen News Service

Citizen Concern on Dams and Development today announced that if the authority try to construct the controversial Tipaimukh Dam without prior consent of the affected people, the body will try its best to block the construction of the dam.

Speaking at a press conference held at Manipur Press Club today, leaders of the body alleged the authority that the opinion of the affected people against the construction of dam during the public hearing was kept aside.

The body also condemned the environmental clearance given by the Union ministry of Environment and Forest in 2008 .

The clearance was given without the basis of the actual detail impact assessment reports of the dam which was compiled with the opinion expressed by the people to be affected by the dam, they said.

Despite objection from various different sides on the construction of the dam in an international river and becomes an issue in the international level, Central and Manipur government is trying to construct the dam at any cost, they alleged.

Newmai News Network add: The Barak river has been the source of livelihood of the Hmar people for generations, but it would stop being a source of livelihood once the Tipaimukh dam is constructed, said Joseph Hmar, spokesperson of Hmar Students' Union.

The overall benefit in construction of the dam is much less than the loss to be incurred, he stated.

He further stated that the Hmar people are not anti-development and alleged that the ministers of the state do not care for the feelings of the people.

Samson Remmei, president of United Naga Council (UNC) pointed out to the media that the government of Manipur cannot feel the pulse of the people in spite of the numerous protests and continued that the detailed plan of the project has not been shown to the public giving an indication of lack of transparency on the part of the government.

The impact due to the construction of the Tipaimukh dam is going to be multi-dimensional, said Jiten Yumnam, co-convener of Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Dam (ACTIP).

He said that the government should maintain transparency about the Tipaimukh dam and inform the people about any discussion regarding the dam.

Aram Pamei, convener of COLNAR said that the Barak river is very important to the people living near the river.

She said that different types of rare fishes and other species of animals and plants are going to disappear if the dam is constructed.

She continued that the government of India or Manipur or Bangladesh cannot decide anything without the consent of the people living near the Barak river.

Anti-dam bodies dig in heels, harden stand

2009-08-01T18:51:00.000+07:00

Imphal, July 30 2009

Continuing with their stiff opposition to the Tipaimukh Multipurpose Project, the Citizens Concerns for Dams and Development (CCDD), Committee on Land and Natural Resources (COL NAR) and Action Commi ttee Against Tipaimukh Dam (ACTIP) have asserted that the project should not be taken up in Manipur without people's consent.

The Tipaimukh Project would destroy invaluable natural resources, besides curtailing the means of livelihood of thousands of people and violating their tradition and culture, they claimed.

"Even if the Government decides to go ahead with the project, we would stand op posed to the project for all generations", said the functionaries of these organisations.

Addressing a press meet at Manipur Press Club here today, Aram Pamei from the CCDD said that Tipaimukh Dam would submerge 90 villages in the catchment areas of the project.

Reminding that the people have been urging the Government and relevant authorities to scrap the project since 1990, Aram Pamei decried that MoUs have been signed between the Government and implementing agencies followed by bogus public hearings on five occasion.

CCDD general secretary, Joseph Hmar said that proposed project with installed capacity of 1500 MW of power, should not be constructed in Manipur, which does not stand to benefit anything substantial from the project.

Though people welcome development projects, any project which threatens environment, ecology and people's livelihood will be resisted with all force.

ACTIP general secretary Bikramjit said that people's resolution against Tipaimukh need to be strengthened in the backdrop of the Bangladesh Parliamentary team's visit to Tipaimukh Dam site and the effort of the Government of India to browbeat the people of Manipur.

Even if both the Bangladesh Government and Government of India agree to build Tipaimukh Dam, a third party should be roped in to make a detailed study on the possible impacts of the dam, Bikramjit asserted.

Taking part in the press meet, UNC president Samson said pros and cons of all policies and programmes of the Govt should be analysed before implementing them.

Samson further decried that no project report has been made available to the public about Tipaimukh Project.

This is clear evidence that the Government has been doing nothing in the interest of the people till date, he alleged.

The UNC would always stand against the Tipaimukh Project which is against the interest of the, people, he added.

Four fallacies centring on Tipaimukh Dam

2009-08-01T17:34:00.002+07:00

Dr M. Monirul Qader Mirza

Bangladesh and India share basins of 54 international rivers. The waters of these rivers play an important economic role for agriculture, urban and rural water supplies and navigation sectors. Among the shared rivers between the two countries, until recently, the Ganges was the most debated because of withdrawals of its waters at Farakka Barrage point and 90 other points above of it.

Thus far, Brahmaputra and the Meghna/Barak have remained virgin in terms of water impoundments and withdrawal/transfer. However, this is no more the case. India's recent decision to go ahead with the plan of building a dam at Tipaimukh on the Barak River has ignited heated debates on its merit in India and Bangladesh.

Fallacy 1. Bangladesh consented to build the Tipaimukh Dam Project

Immediately after the independence of Bangladesh, the two countries established the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) to foster cooperation on water resources development and sharing benefits. In the very first meeting of the JRC, India informed Bangladesh that it had identified a project for the construction of a storage reservoir on the Barak River for flood control. The Bangladesh side urged Indian officials to take conditions in Bangladesh into consideration.

The 2nd through 6th meetings, project outline, at the constitution of joint committee of engineers (JCE), flood problems of Sylhet and Cachar regions and hydrological studies on the Barak Dam project were discussed. In the 7th meeting of the JRC, India informed the commission that a dam site at Bhubandhar was identified.

However, Bangladeshi officials exclaimed that the proposed dam site would have minimal flood moderation potential and therefore, further investigation was recommended. In the Minutes of the 14th meeting of the JRC, the following statement regarding the Barak Dam project was made: "With regard to the flood problem of Sylhet, Cachar and adjoining areas, the Commission should jointly examine the scope of the Indian scheme of storage dam on Barak River at Tipaimukh and study expeditiously the potential flood control and other benefits in Bangladesh and report the progress to the Commission at its next meeting."

From the record of discussions of the JRC, the following conclusions can be drawn: (1) a dam at the Tipaimukh site was not recommended by the Joint Committee of Engineers constituted by the JRC; (2) the proposed dam at Tipaimukh is absolutely an Indian proposal. It was identified by the Indian Central Water Commission in 1974; (3) records do not demonstrate that Bangladesh ever formally consented to build a dam at Tipaimukh; and (4) it was never jointly studied and no report submitted to the 15th meeting of the JRC or in any subsequent meetings. Salient features of the Tipaimukh Dam latter appeared in the 'Indian Proposal to Augment the Ganges Water at Farakka' and its updated version submitted to Bangladesh in 1978 and 1983, respectively, and later in the 'Indo-Bangladesh Task Force Report on Flood Management 1990'. The logic of the inclusion of this project into the augmentation proposal of the Ganges waters was not known, because, in the official discussions, diversion of any water from the Meghna/Barak basin to the Ganges never came up.

Fallacy 2: Tipaimukh will reduce extreme flooding in Bangladesh

This is not as simple as stated by India in the 'Indo-Bangladesh Task Force Report on Flood Management 1990.' "The storage will moderate the floods in the Cachar district of Assam and Sylhet and Dhaka districts of Bangladesh and provide these areas much awaited relief from floods besides reducing the chances of obstructing the drainage of the main Padma (Ganga) in the event of synchronization of the flood flows and backing up of Meghna as it happened in 1988" (p.14).

Bangladesh countered the Indian claim with, "The updated Indian proposal provides gated spillway for all the dams and claim benefits "to a significant measure" from Dihang dam 'to a large extent" from the Subansiri dam and "to a vast areas in India and Bangladesh" from the Tipaimukh dam for flood moderation." The above Indian claims are not substantiated by facts and figures" (p.26).

Bangladesh further stated, "The Indian proposal of constructing a dam at Tipaimukh will also not help in flood moderation in Bangladesh as the Meghna basin within Bangladesh is a saucer shaped land mass consisting of a large number of beels and haors. The soil moisture deficiency is comparatively less than in other areas of Bangladesh. The average pre-monsoon precipitation is above 900 mm and after meeting the soil moisture deficiency it partly goes to depression storages in the different beels and haors in the area. Sometimes pre-monsoon precipitation also causes early flash floods." (p.26).

"The intensity and duration of monsoon rainfall is of high magnitude in the Sylhet area. The average being of the order of 4000 mm. Above 70-80% of the monsoon precipitation goes to direct runoff which causes heavy flood almost every year in the area. The estimated runoff depth is of the order of 3m. As such the Indian proposal of constructing dam at Tipaimukh will not help flood moderation in Bangladesh as the monsoon precipitation in Sylhet basin is enough to cause floods in Bangladesh." (p.26).

On the contrary, India countered Bangladesh's argument with, "The Tipaimukh reservoir having 9.00 milliard cum. as its live storage will be very effective in absorbing high floods in the valley and protecting the Cacher and Sylhet areas from the flood-ravages. The Tipaimukh reservoir will moderate the floods generated by heavy precipitation over a ctachment of 12,758 Sq.km which otherwise would continue to ravage the downstream areas in an uncontrolled manner. Areas of both the countries will get considerable relief from the flood menace after the Tipaimukh reservoir comes up." (p.61). The limitation of this 9 millard cubic meters of live storage for flood moderation and hydro-power generation is explained below.

Initially, the main purpose of such dam construction in the Meghna/Barak basin was 'flood control'. However, over the years, it purposes were shifted to 'hydropower generation' and 'irrigation'. A multi-purpose dam has to encounter many problems to optimize its operation to serve all the purposes (could be opposing) efficiently.

For example, in order to mitigate downstream flood problems, the storage behind the Tipaimukh dam should be maintained at the lowest level possible at the beginning of the monsoon. If this is the case, then power generation from the dam will have to be compromised. To maximize power generation, water levels (therefore the storage volume) must be maintained at the highest possible levels. This will have limited impact on flood moderation. Therefore, experts are concerned over the stated flood control benefit of the Tipaimukh dam in extreme conditions, as its main purpose is to generate electricity.

Moreover, there are also other concerns. After a detention from a heavy rainfall event, generated runoff water should be released through the spillway as quickly as possible, within the capacity of the downstream channel to maintain safety of the dam itself. Firsthand examples exist in our neighborhood. In 2000, the South-Western region of Bangladesh was suddenly engulfed by waters arriving from neighboring India. The source of the flood waters was the water released from a string of dams in West Bengal, where the capacity of the dams was exceeded due to the sudden onrush of runoff from the catchment areas. Similar incidents were experienced in other parts of the world as well.

"During the El Niño of 1983, climate and hydrologic forecasts failed to predict abnormally heavy spring runoff in the Rocky Mountains. Dam operators along the Colorado River maintained high water storage levels, failing to prepare for the potential of the flooding. By the time operators began to react, water was bypassing the dams via their spillways and wreaking havoc throughout the system. Ultimately, the Glen Canyon dam in Arizona was heavily impacted with flood flows eroding large volumes of rock from within the canyon walls that support the dam. Fortunately, the flooding peaked and control was regained before the dam was breached" (http://science.jrank.org, 2009). As the North-East region of India is very prone to rainfall with long rainy seasons, such events will likely happen in the near future and bring about havoc in the downstream areas of the Barak/Meghna basin in India and Bangladesh.

The reservoir simulation study downstream of the Tipaimukh shows that it would withstand 100-years' of floods. It should be noted that large floods are often designated as a "one-hundred-year flood" but a 100-year flood does not mean that such a flood occurs once every 100 years. Instead it signifies that there is a one in one-hundred (or 1%) chance of such a flood occurring in a given year, with two exceptions: Sonaimukh and Badarpurghat would be 0.75m and 0.65m above the danger levels, respectively.

However, the data used for the calculation the 100-year flood for the Tipaimukh Dam is significantly dated. In its letter of clearance, dated October 24, 2008, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MEF), Government of India asked the concerned authority to update the peak flood estimation for the project. The MEF stated, "Peak flood estimation by frequency method, utilizing a short series of 16 years (1966-1981), when the observed peak is 9100 cumec will lead to a significant increase 1 in 100 year flood estimated as 4931 cumec only. Flood frequency study has to be carried out utilizing the data from 1966 to 2007 and got vetted by CWC." Although the MEF urged NEEPCO to update flood analysis, recently it has released the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for general public without any revisions.

Considering a 100-year flood from a short record of only 16 years is an unusual hydrologic practice. Without update of the hydrological assessment and related design parameters, the project will introduce significant risks for the population living in the downstream areas. Any increase in volume of 100-year flood means higher flood depths in the downstream areas of the Dam in India and Bangladesh.

The probable maximum flood (PMF) considered as the 'design flood' for the Dam is also questionable. Design of the spillway and safety of the dam are related to the PMF. The Tipaimukh Dam falls under the large category as defined by the Indian Standard IS: 11223-1985 "Guidelines for Fixing Spillway Capacity" because of its size (>60 million cubic meters) for which the inflow design discharge should be the PMF.

The PMF is the flood that may be expected from the most severe combination of critical meteorological and hydrologic conditions that are reasonably possible in a particular catchment and it is related to the probable maximum precipitation (PMP). Two other methods, standard project flood (SPF) and flood of a specific return period, also have to be considered. The maximum of the three methods is selected as 'the design flood'. The SPF is computed from the Standard Project Storm (SPS) over the watershed considered and may be taken as the largest storm observed in the region of the watershed. For the Tipaimukh Dam, the PMF has not been calculated separately as per guideline of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Instead, the severest storm that occurred in the Barak Basin on from 10-12 June, 1929 has been adopted as the SPS and the PMP value is determined by increasing the SPS by 10% arbitrarily. Eventually the standard project flood (SPF) was calculated from the SPS and the PMF was determined to be 16,964 cubic meters. It should be noted that the PMF usually 60-150% higher than the SPF. There are examples (Hutong Dam on the Lohit River in Arunachal) in India where the PMF values have been calculated to be 30-40% higher than the SPF. Considering methodological aspects and examples of other dams in India, it can be concluded that the 'design flood' of the Tipaimukh Dam is underestimated.

The flood cushion area in the reservoir is 40,500 ha m and has been allocated from EL 172.5 to FRL (Full Reservoir Level) 175m. The area kept for holding flood water is inadequate. As stated before, this is usually a compromise for a multipurpose dam when hydropower generation is the main priority. For a design flood of 16,964 cubic meters, it will take only 6.6 hours to fill the allocated area. Then the spillway and other routes have to be opened to flush incoming flood waters out.

The impact of future climate change in the 'design flood' of the Tipaimikh Dam has not been considered. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its Fourth Assessment Reported projected a significant increase in temperature and precipitation globally with regional variations. It also projected increases in heavy rainfall storms.

All global climate models are generally in agreement on increases in precipitation in the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna basins. Note that climate change impacts will be felt in the economic and engineering life of this project. Therefore, any further increase of the PMF value due to climate change will put this project at increased risks of failure.

Flooding as a result of a dam break, poses great concerns for the engineers associated with the design of the dams. A dam break could occur from: spillway design failure, overtopping due to extreme rainfall, seismic activity, sliding of a mountain into the dam and debris flow. For the Tipaimukh dam, extreme rainfall and seismic activity are very important.

As stated above, the design discharge of the dam is underestimated; there is a high possibility of overtopping. On the other hand, the Tipaimukh project area is located in a zone that is vulnerable to high seismic activity (Figure 1) which can cause structural failure of the dam. Some extreme earthquakes occurred in the region are: Cachar earthquake 1869 (M>7.8), Cachar earthquake 1984 (M=5.8); Shillong plateau earthquake 1897 (M=8.7); and 1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake (M=8.7). Failure could occur due to large flood waves generated by earthquakes-induced landslides. Once a dam is overtopped and a breach is formed, it grows rapidly due to the spillage of water from the reservoir.

Critical values are the rate at which the dam is breached and the size of the opening. Breach widths 2 to 3 times the dam height have been reported. Failure time varies between a few minutes to several hours. Debris flow as result of excessive rainfall could also cause failure of the Dam. For example, Only one extreme 24-hour 540 mm rainfall event added almost 300,000 cubic meters of silt to the reservoir of the Kulekhani Hydropower project in Nepal. Government of Nepal borrowed $40 million or one third of the project cost to repair the project.

Regarding the Tipaimukh Dam, the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests cautioned, "The project is provided with a spillway capacity much lower than the design flood, because of routing effect. But, the earth and rockfill dam has to be safe against over topping. The dam break flood has been estimated to submerge all densely populated villages and large towns like Silchar going under 3 to 10m deep water." The flood water will quickly cross the border, and will endanger the lives of millions of civilians in Bangladesh.

The calculation of water yield volume for the dam is also problematic. The average and 90% (will occur 9 out of 10 years) of dependable yields are 12.5 and 8.1 billion cubic meters, respectively. They were calculated based on a very limited number of recorded years which does not fall under any climatological analysis standard. Lengths of the station records varied from 2-8 years.

The density of the rain gauge stations in the basin is also well below the World Meteorological Organization's standard. Short meteorological records cannot catch high and low variability of rainfalls. Therefore, they cannot be used for water yield calculation and its risk analysis. For the Tipaimukh dam, no risk analysis regarding inflow of water to the reservoir has been carried out. There are further concerns.

The Barak basin in India falls within the meteorological sub-division # 4 (Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura) of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Average rainfall in this sub-division is calculated at 1,970 mm using available records from 1871-2006. The following figure of rainfall records demonstrates three important features/implications: (1) rainfall in the Barak basin is characterized by high variability (12%) with extreme high and low rainfall events. In the available record of 136 years, annual rainfall fell below the long-term average for 74 years or 54% of the time. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Barak dam will be able to receive enough water every year to fill its storage.

In failing to do so, hydropower generation will be highly challenged. (2) if the dam is not filled up enough in the monsoon, water supply in a regular flooding season will substantially decrease in Bangladesh. This will cause significant impacts on the ecosystem that was developed thorough the geologic time. (3) long-term rainfall records show a decreasing trend in this sub-division placing the project at a risk of attaining the desired goal of power generation and economic viability of the project.

Fallacy 3: Agriculture in Bangladesh will benefit from the Tipaimukh Dam

This idea was concretely iterated in the 'Indo-Bangladesh Task Force Report on Flood Management 1990' in the context of a barrage at Fulertal. In the Report, the Indian argument was "The regulated tail water discharge of Tipaimukh dam project of about 405 cumec along with the contribution from intermediate catchment up to Fulertal is proposed to be utilized for irrigation by construction of a barrage near Fulertal and canal system on both banks. An area of about 30000 ha in adjacent Tripura is also planned to be brought under irrigation. Thus, around 3.1 lakh ha area in India can be brought under irrigation through Tipaimukh project."

It further stated ""…There are good possibilities of serving additional adjacent areas in Bangladesh also but these need to be investigated and studied." In the dry season, the contribution from the intermediate catchment is insignificant. Therefore, we can assume that 405 cubic meters of water will be available for irrigation purposes. The key question is whether this amount of water is sufficient to irrigate 3.1 lakh hectares (7.66 lakh acres) as indicated in the 1990 report.

The following table displays water requirement (@ 2 meter) for rice irrigation plus land preparation. The estimate of two meter water requirement (includes water application efficiency) is based on published Indian literature. The calculation shows that there won't be enough water available only to irrigate rice crop in India. Therefore, any irrigation benefit for Bangladesh with a barrage at Fulertal is highly questionable.

However, if there is no barrage at Fulertal, we assume that 405 cubic meters of water will flow down to Bangladesh. A possible change in hydrograph of Barak at Amalshid is seen from Figure 3. The Meghna basin in Bangladesh is full of depressions (many of them below sea level), a consistent addition flow of water in the late monsoon through to summer can cause water logging in the basin. This may put boro rice cultivation into jeopardy.

Fallacy 4: The Project will enhance environment and ecological qualities

In the 1990 'Indo-Bangladesh Task Force Report on Flood Management' it was stated "…no adverse effect in the area. The project would on the other hand enhance the environment and ecological qualities." A large number of articles in electronic and print media as well as the NEEPCO's EIA Report have already highlighted on the environmental impacts of the project in India. The impacts on Bangladesh have not been investigated by the concerned authority although it was agreed in the 14th meeting of the JRC. The most critical issue for Bangladesh is the impact on 'environmental flow requirement' (EFR).

It is flows that are essential within a stream and dependable wetlands to maintain its natural resources at desired or specified levels and is calculated based on "low" and "high" flow months. In the Surma and Kushiyara rivers, the EFR cannot be met in the high flow months due to reduction in flow. On the other hand, without the barrage, the flow to be available in the dry months will be significantly higher than now. With a barrage, the situation will be just reverse. Environmental setting of the delicate haor basins cannot be seen from a seasonal perspective. In one season sudden reduction of flow and in the other season increase in flow (Figure 3) would create a complete chaos for the environment and the ecosystem.

Concluding Remarks: The Tipaimukh Dam is a special project in the context of linkages between water supplies that is required from upstream to maintain delicate ecosystems in the downstream floodplains in Bangladesh. Ecosystems do not follow simple arithmetic, it is maintained in complex ways and our knowledge on details of the complexities is still limited. The hydro-meteorological analysis for the Tipaimukh was conducted on a very short record and its update is a must. The environmental impact analysis should consider the entire Barak/Meghna basin as a single unit.

(The writer is a water resources engineer and an Adjunct Professor with the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Canada.)

Tipaimukh dam only if affected people agree to it, say activists

2009-07-31T18:49:00.000+07:00

Imphal, Jul 30:

The Tipaimukh dam should not be constructed without the free prior and informed consent of the indigenous people of all affected people in Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and further down in Bangladesh, said the Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD), Action Committee Against Tipaimukh Dam (ACTIP) and Committee on Land and Natural Resources (COLNAR).

While speaking during a press meet held today at the Manipur Press Club, the three organizations condemned the environmental clearance accorded by the ministry of environment and forest, government of India in 2008 despite the vehement opposition of the affected people to the public hearing on the proposed dam and also to the construction of the dam. They said that clearance despite the absence of a holistic and detailed impact assessment with due rightful participation of affected people construes disrespect to the indigenous people call for respect of people’s rights over their land and resources.

The government of India and Manipur government remained the only supporters of the construction of the Tipaimukh dam despite resistance from all sides, both down and upstream, which includes the mass anti-dam mobilization in Bangladesh and the recent resolution against the dam in the Barak valley in Assam demanding for abandoning the dam, said the three anti dam bodies while asserting that only a dictatorial government would continue with forceful implementation in defiance to the people’s call for respect of their rights and justice.

The anti dam bodies revealed that they would continue to fight against forceful damming of Barak river and resist any attempt to disregard and sacrilege their culture, economy and identity. They also said that any form of compensation or other benefits cannot replace what has evolved over generations. The dam if built would stand to represent an example of a repressive development, they said.

They also pointed out that the government of Manipur in the past had twice in the Assembly resolved that they would not allow the dam. But undemocratic processes that rule Manipur have led to the signing of MoU with NEEPCO, and now with NHPC without explaining to the people what these MoUs are.

On the visit of the parliamentary committee from Bangladesh, the bodies definitely welcomed them as representatives of their neighbours, but, however, added that the bodies would respectfully urge them to desist from any unilateral agreement with India. They informed that they would continue to work with the people living downstream to stop this dam from coming up and asserted that a series of agitations would be lined up if the dam is not scrapped immediately.

Bangladeshi delegation visits Manipur to assess hydel project

2009-07-31T18:47:00.002+07:00

Imphal, July 31 (IANS)

A 10-member Bangladeshi parliamentary delegation visited the Tipaimukh dam in India’s Manipur Friday following the opposition in Dhaka over the hydel project’s possible ecological impact.

The delegation, led by parliament water resources standing committee chairman Abdur Razzaq, held a meeting with Indian Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in New Delhi Thursday before arriving in Manipur Friday.

“The Indian power minister told the visiting delegation that the Tipaimukh project is not an irrigation project or a water diversion scheme, it is a hydel project and in no way will harm Bangladesh’s interest,” an official told journalists here.

The Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydel Project on the Barak river, some 200 km upstream of the Bangladesh border, is under attack in Bangladesh with opposition parties and environmental groups saying it could cause desertification downstream.

“We will ask the Indian authorities not to implement any project that diverts or withdraws water from the Barak river,” Razzaq said.

He said they proposed to request India to launch a joint survey on the proposed Tipaimukh multi-purpose dam before beginning construction.

The delegation, comprising of six lawmakers, three officials and a water expert, during its five-day tour was scheduled to meet Indian officials associated with water resources, power and environment.

The state-owned National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC)is developing the Rs.81.38 billion ($1.7-billion) hydel project to generate 1,500 MW of power.

Part of the Brahmaputra river system, the Barak bifurcates on entering Sylhet district of eastern Bangladesh into the Surma and Kushiyara rivers.

Bangladesh’s opposition leader and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia wrote to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month, urging him to stop construction of the project.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna is understood to have told his Bangladeshi counterpart Dipu Moni at a meeting in New Delhi earlier this month that India would not harm its neighbour’s interests.

“It will regulate excess water, control floods in Sylhet district of Bangladesh, western Manipur and southern Assam, and open a new waterway from Haldia port in West Bengal to northeast India via Bangladesh,” said T.C. Borgohain, a senior engineer associated with the project.

“The project would also lead to the development of two national highways - NH 53 and NH 150 - and thereby improve the connectivity among Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura,” Borgohain told IANS.

“Water used for generating electricity will be released back into the river.”

The project, cleared by the Manipur government, is awaiting approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of the central government. “The project is scheduled for commissioning within 87 months from the date of the CCEA clearance,” Borgohain said.

The project, one of the largest in northeastern India, is also facing opposition from within the country over fears of displacement.

Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD), Committee on Land and Natural Resources (COLNAR) and Action Against the Tipaimukh Dam Project (ACTIP), in a joint statement on the visit of the Bangladesh parliamentary committee to the dam site, said: “The Tipaimukh project must be scrapped.”

Meanwhile, following the Manipur government’s request, the central power ministry last month appointed the state-owned NHPC as the implementing agency for the multi-purpose Tipaimukh hydro-electric project replacing power giant North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) which had earlier been awarded the project in January 2003, but the construction work had failed to take off for various reasons.

Tipaimukh dam means war, says HPC(D)

2009-07-30T16:58:00.001+07:00

The Imphal Free Press

The proposed Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project is a war imposed on the indigenous Hmar people and various other communities who shared the river, downstream as well as upperstream, the Hmar People`s Convention (D) has said in a press release.

The power-hungry governments and dam builders in India who were driven by capitalist interests, in their blind pursuit for profit making and securing energy in distant foreign land, are poised to cross into indigenous peoples territory to dam the two life-giving rivers, Tuiruong and Tuivai. They don`t have the approval and consent of the people in whose land the dam is proposed. We are closely watching their every move, it said.

The HPC (D) shall never tolerate and allow their efforts to bear any fruit, it added.

The rivers that nurse and feed our honoured generations before shall continue to flow for all the generations to come. We cannot allow the rivers to be disturbed and are obligated to see that no outsiders, their forces and might will dam, destroy or disturb the natural flow of the rivers of life, it stated.

It also appealed to the visiting Bangladeshi parliamentary delegates to steadfastly share the concern to save river Tuiruong and Tuivai for all purposes; to work together for collective good; to save the rivers from irreparable damage and public calamity.

The HPC(D) is also responsible for destroying NEEPCO`s drilling machine in the year 2008, the release from Lalthutlung Hmar, northern command of the Hmar Peoples Convention (Democratic) said

Bangladesh team to visit dam site

2009-07-30T16:56:00.000+07:00

By Mark Dummett
BBC News, Dhaka

A delegation of Bangladeshi parliamentarians has arrived in north-east India to examine plans to build a hydroelectric dam.

Many Bangladeshis worry that, if built, the Tipaimukh dam in the state of Manipur will reduce water flowing into its own north-eastern region.

Work on building the dam has not yet started.

But this is already a sensitive issue in Bangladesh, a country normally associated with having too much water.

The leader of the main opposition party in Bangladesh has called on India to cancel the project for the sake of the millions of people in both countries, who she said would be harmed by it.

There have been several street protests as well, by those who say that two rivers, which pass through Bangladesh's Sylhet region, could dry up if the dam is built.

They have compared the proposals to the Farakka Barrage, which India built in the 1970s on the Ganges to divert water away from Bangladesh.

Despite a later agreement between the two countries to share water, Bangladesh's north-western regions continue to suffer from shortages in the winter months.

After meeting officials in Delhi, the Bangladeshi parliamentarians will travel to Manipur to visit the site of the proposed dam.

They are to examine whether Bangladesh really does have something to fear.

Govt out to protect interest of big neighour: Moudud

2009-07-30T16:55:00.000+07:00

Staff Reporter

Former minister and BNP leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed yesterday said that the present government was busy to protect and promote the interest of a neighbouring country. They came to the power with their blessings, he said.

He was addressing as the chief guest at a discussion on 'Tipaimukh Dam and Responsibility of the Government' at the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB) in the city.

Organised by Islami Chatra Shibir, it was addressed, among others, by Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamate Islami Mohammad Kamruzzaman, Vice Chancellor of Manarat International University Prof Dr Abdur Rab, Professor of Dhaka University Mujahidul Islam and President of city unit of Jamate Islami Rafiqul Islam Khan.

The programme was presided over by President of the organisation Md Rezaul Karim while its General Secretary Shishir Mohammad Monir Conducted it.

Barrister Moudud said that if the Tipaimukh dam is constructed, it would sour the relationship between Bangladesh and India.

He said that the Tipaimukh dam issue is the life and death matters for Bangladesh, but the government was silent.

Criticising the government, Kamruzzaman said that the ministers of the government remain silent when the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty delivered controversial remarks on the Tipaimukh dam issue.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/07/29/news0220.htm

'Dhaka will urge no Barak irrigation project'

2009-07-28T19:55:00.001+07:00

Kamran Reza Chowdhury

bdnews24.com Senior Correspondent

Bangladesh will demand assurance from India that it will not implement any irrigation project which will divert water from the common river Barak, says the chief of the parliamentary team leaving on Wednesday to visit the site of the planned Tipaimukh dam.

Abdur Razzaq, who will head the 11-member parliamentary delegation, told bdnews24.com on Tuesday that he would propose India carry out a joint study on the dam that Bangladesh fears will cause environmental damage in the downstream.

The former water resources minister said as per the minutes of the joint rivers commission (JRC) meetings and a Bangladesh study on the proposed dam, if India solely implements a power project in Tipaimiukh, it would not harm Dhaka's interests.

Razzaq said the BNP' former water resources minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmed at the JRC meetings in 2003 and 2005 rightly opposed implementation of any irrigation project in Phulertala—further down to the Tipaimukh dam in the northeasternIndian state of Manipur.

As per the Indian plans, Delhi will implement an irrigation project at Phulertala over the Barak which enters into Bangladesh as the Surma and Kushiara.

The two rivers are lifeline for hundreds of rivers and water bodies in the greater Sylhet region.

"Despite the study and the JRC agreements, we will propose carrying out a joint-study to know whether the Tipaimukh dam will cause any harm to Bangladesh," Razzaq, , also the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on water resources ministry, said at parliament building.

He said Bangladesh had been opposing implementation of the irrigation project over the Barak since 1978.

"We will firmly ask the Indian side that they must not implement the irrigation project at Phulertala. Because, irrigation project means water diversion (from the upstream)," he said.

Razzaq said India "repeatedly" committed to not implement the Phulertala project.

"At one stage, they agreed that they would not start irrigation project there.

"Again, the Indian prime minister has assured us that they will not do anything that will harm Bangladesh," said Razzaq.

Environmental pressure groups in Bangladesh and Manipur state have repeatedly voiced concern over the potential impact of the planned dam in downstream regions.

India claims the Tipaimukh dam would not withhold water from Bangladesh as it is part of a power generation and not intended for irrigation purposes.

Indian high commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty has said there will be no water diversion from downstream Bangladesh.

The parliamentary delegation goes for a five-day tour after India invited it in a move to allay Dhaka's fear over the controversial project.

The main opposition the BNP has not nominated any delegation to the 11-member team.

The BNP's main ally Bangladesh Jaamat-e-Islami MP Hamidur Rahman Azad, who is one of the members of the team, may not go, according to Razzaq.

He said the team would leave Dhaka for New Delhi at 10:00am by a Jet Airways flight on July 29, where they will meet officials from the foreign and energy ministries.

"We will listen to what they have to say, rather than voice our own opinions," said Razzaq.

On July 30, they are scheduled to fly to Guwahati, the capital of Assam state, and to the proposed dam site.

"We will submit a report on our return to the prime minister through the water resources ministry and the parliament secretariat," he said.

Members of the parliamentary team include Awami League MP Abdur Rahman, AKM Fazlul Haq MP (AL), ABM Anwarul Haq MP (AL) and Jatiya Party MP ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Hamidur Rahman Azad (Bangladesh Jaamat-e-Islami), and independent MP Fazlul Azim.

It also has two experts, BUET professor Monwar Hossain and Sajjad Hossain of the Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission, the water resources secretary and a director general of the foreign ministry.

Boon or bane for Bangladesh?

2009-07-28T19:31:00.002+07:00

G. M. Quader

FOR quite sometime now Tipaimukh Dam has been a subject of discussion, a political issue. Different people are raising it in various forums, providing reasons based mostly on political bias and very little on facts and figures.

On July 18, leader of the opposition Begum Khaleda Zia made some statements on Tipaimukh Dam. She gave a call to all the people of Bangladesh, including the government, to be united against construction of the said dam in India. She also called upon the Indian government to declare immediately that India had abandoned the project.

She said that Tipaimukh Dam when constructed would have a tremendously harmful effect on Bangladesh. She said that it would have an adverse effect on water, life, environment, nature, agriculture, fish etc. She termed the dam as a death trap for Bangladesh and compared it with the Farakka Barrage.

She said that she understood that the government did not have enough data or facts and figures on Tipaimukh Dam. She thought that it was her duty to collect the same from renowned experts and disclose those to assist the government

A power-point presentation with some information was given by a former power secretary, Mr. Akhter Hossain, after Begum Zia's statement.

Mr. Akhter Hossain expressed that India had been constructing dams on common rivers and withdrawing water unilaterally in the upper riparian region, depriving Bangladesh of its due share. He concluded by stating that by the year 2050 there would be no water in any river in Bangladesh due to construction of the dams on common rivers. He said that Bangladesh was going to become a desert in the long run due to the actions of the Indian government.

Mr. Akhter Hossain accused India of violating the international charter since it was mandatory for India, an upper riparian country, to consult Bangladesh -- the lower riparian country -- and take its consent before building the Tipaimukh Dam.

Engr. Akhter Hossain also said that the proposed dam site fell within the earthquake prone zone. As such, in case of an earthquake the dam may fail, which would cause havoc like a tsunami and Shilchar, Karimganj of Assam and Sylhet of Bangladesh would be inundated.

Let us analyse the accusations in the perspective of what we find from different documents.

The question of construction of a water reservoir on the Barak river came up as far back as June, 1972 in the first meeting of the Joint River Commission (JRC) between the experts of India and Bangladesh. The purpose had been moderation of flooding along the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, Barak and other rivers and in Sylhet district in Bangladesh.

Quoted below is the relevant portion of the minutes of the meeting:

"The current flood situation in Assam and the adjoining areas in Bangladesh was reviewed by the Commission. There has been heavy flood along the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, Barak and other rivers and in the Sylhet district in Bangladesh. In considering measures for flood control and flood distress mitigation, the Commission decided to form a Study Group comprising of Shri V.N. Nagaraja (alternate Shri R. Rangachari) and Director, Floods, CWPC or alternate from India and M/s. A. M. M. G. Kibria, Chief Engineer, IWTA and Amjad Hossain Khan, Director, Water Investigation, from Bangladesh to assess immediately the flood situation in the Sylhet area of Bangladesh in Cachar district and other adjoining areas in India in order to formulate short-term and long-term measures for reducing the flood damage in the region. In this connection the Commission noted that a project for the construction of storage reservoir on the Barak river has been investigated. The Commission felt that this was a useful project and formulation of this project should be expedited taking into consideration conditions in Bangladesh."

The subject continued to be discussed, decisions taken and follow up actions persuaded in the subsequent JRC meetings and recorded accordingly e.g. 2nd meeting in Dhaka, September 28-30, 1972 (Para 8), 3rd meeting in New Delhi, December 11-13, 1972 (Para 8), 4th meeting in Dhaka, March 29-31, 1973 (Para 8), 5th meeting in New Delhi, July 19-21, 1973 (Para 8), 6th meeting in Dhaka, November 8-10, 1973 (Para 7), 7th meeting in New Delhi, Feb 28-March 2, 1974 (Para 10), 8th meeting in Dhaka, June 6-12, 1974 (Para 8.4.1), 10th meeting in Dhaka, Aug 29-Sept 2, 1974 (Para 10), 13th meeting in Dhaka, June 19-21, 1975 (Para 8).

Quoted below is the extract of the 14th JRC meeting in Dhaka, June 20-24, 1978, when a dam at Tipaimukh site was considered:

"With regard to the flood problem of Sylhet-Cachar and adjoining areas the Commission decided that the concerned superintending engineers of both the countries should jointly examine the scope of the Indian scheme of a storage dam on Barak river at Tipaimukh and study expeditiously the potential flood control and other benefits for Bangladesh and report the progress to the Commission at its next meeting."

Later, the flood plan coordination organisation, Bangladesh Water Development Board, made a study on Flood Action Plan and prepared a report titled "Northeast Regional Water Management Project (FAP 6) in September 1993.

Quoted below are the contents of page 17 of the said study report, which provides an overall assessment of the project as published:

"TIPAIMUKH PROJECT: LOCATION: Manipur State, India.

Planned date of implementation: Proposed to start 1993 but delayed pending resolution of various issues, including impacts on Bangladesh.

Objective: Generate 3,609 GWH of electricity annually and irrigate 1,680 sq/km of Cachar Plain.

Physical works: 161metre high rock-fill dam at Tipaimukh gorge on the Barak river with an installed generating capacity of 1,500 MW.

Barrage on the Barak at Fulerthal, about 100 km downstream from the dam, irrigation distribution system, Cachar Plain.

Direct impacts: Moderation of flood flows of the Barak, Surma, and Kushiyara rivers. Amalshid peak flows reduced by 25%, floodwater volumes reduced by 20%, water levels reduced by 1.6 metres. The Sylhet basin would experience lower floods, less inundation, lower monsoon drainage flows. Surma and Kushiyara channel erosion and sediment transport would be less.

Augmentation of dry season flows. Amalshid. Average February flows estimated to increase by a factor of 4.2, total dry season volume +60%, water levels +1.7 metres, Other dry season water levels: Sherpur +1.5 metres, Ajmiriganj +1.0m. Drainage congestion possible in some areas.

Other impacts: Monsoon season: less flood and erosion damage to crops, homesteads, urban areas, infrastructure. Dry season: increased water availability during the critical period for irrigation, fisheries, navigation.

Hazards: reduced flood hazards. Dam failure could have catastrophic effects on the northeast region -- the issue requires further study/environment management planning.

Implementation phase impacts: Reservoir filling could affect hydrology in the northeast region -- the issue requires further study/environment management planning."

[Source Joint Rivers Commission, NERP estimates.]

The above clearly indicates that the project would achieve moderation of flood flows of the Barak, Surma, and Kushiyara rivers. In addition, it would allow augmentation of dry season flows of the same rivers.

As regards hazard, the project did minimise the flooding, but dam failure could have catastrophic effects on the northeast region. It is also seen that in addition to generation of 1500 mw of electricity, the project has a component for making a barrage on the Barak at Fulerthal, about 100 km downstream from the dam.

In the 35th JRC meeting in New Delhi, September 29-30, 2003 (Para VI) Bangladesh side raised an objection on the proposed construction of a barrage at Fulerthal for diverting water by India. The Indian side assured that there would not be any diversion of waters from Fulertal or elsewhere on the Barak river.

The Indian side also gave assurance that if it was ever decided to build a diversion structure on the Barak river it would be done after due consultation with Bangladesh. There was reassurance from the Indian side on the same issue again in the subsequent 36th JRC meeting in Dhaka on September 19-21, 2005.

It is known from newspaper reports that on December16, 2006, two ministers of the government of India laid the foundation stone of Tipaimukh Dam project. The Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested the government of India vide a note verbal dated January 2007 not to proceed with the construction of Tipaimukh Dam until the water sharing issues with Bangladesh were resolved.

The Indian prime minister, during a meeting with the prime minister of Bangladesh on the sidelines of the 15th Non-Aligned Movement Summit at Sharm El- Sheikh in Egypt on July 15, gave firm assurance that India would not take any action in respect of Tipaimukh Dam which would harm the bilateral relations between the two countries.

In the meantime, the government of India forwarded an invitation for a team from Bangladesh to go to Tipaimukh Dam site to have first-hand understanding of the situation there. Bangladesh is preparing to send an all-party parliamentary delegation to visit the site.

It is clear from the above that the concerned experts from Bangladesh side have all along been very much aware of the situation as regards Tipaimukh Dam. The government of Bangladesh did not show any lack of alertness to safeguard the interest of the country on the issue as well.

No visible sign of unilateral action by the Indian experts or the government of India defying or denying Bangladesh could be traced so far. Is creating unnecessary panic and making the situation complicated with aggressive accusations really needed at the moment? It is evident from the above-mentioned study done by Bangladesh that if constructed properly taking into consideration interest of Bangladesh, the country can be immensely benefited from Tipaimukh Dam.

G.M. Quader is Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism.

Parliamentary team to do all to collect most Tipai info

2009-07-28T19:16:00.003+07:00

Rashidul Hasan

The parliamentary delegation scheduled to visit the Tipaimukh dam site in India on Friday, said that the extent of its access to the site will depend on how much its counterpart is willing to allow.

The team, that is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Wednesday for a six-day visit, however said it will try its best to collect as much information and documents as possible for assessing the dam's effect on Bangladesh.

"We will not be able to roam around at will while visiting the Tipaimukh dam, as we will be guided by the Indian counterpart," chief of the delegation Abdur Razzaq, also chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on water resources, told reporters after a committee meeting yesterday.

"We will move around as much as they will allow us," added Razzaq, also a senior lawmaker of ruling Awami League.

The delegation chief also admitted that the team's strength has been weakened due to main opposition lawmakers' refusal to be included in it.

Razzaq said, "It would be better if they had gone with us," adding that independent lawmaker Mohammad Fazlul Azim from Noakhali-6 was included in the delegation.

The 11-member delegation comprised of seven lawmakers, one official each from the water resources ministry, foreign affairs ministry, and Joint Rivers Commission, and a water expert from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), will finalise the ambit of its investigation, agenda, and strategy today in a meeting.

Razzaq said they will meet officials of the Indian foreign ministry and energy ministry on July 29, the first day of their visit.

The delegation will also make a courtesy call to the Indian foreign minister and energy minister on July 30.

On July 31, the delegation will fly to Gouhati and go to the Tipaimukh dam site by a helicopter from there. The team will spend the day at the site.

"We are likely to return to Delhi on August 2, and likely to return home the next day," ABM Anwarul Hoque, one of the delegates, told The Daily Star after the briefing.

About the ambit of the delegation's investigation, Razzaq said, "We will try to assess how much damage to our environment the proposed dam is likely to cause. We will ask our expert to assess the matter."

"We will also try to find out whether any structure is already built on the Barak river," he said.

"News reports show a picture of a dam on the Barak River, but we know there is no structure built on that river, therefore we will go and see for ourselves what is the real picture," added Razzaq.

He said the delegation will also try to know the exact nature of the project.

Source: The Daily Star

Govt inaction to halt Tipai dam challenged

2009-07-28T19:14:00.001+07:00

Star Online Report

A writ petition was filed with the High Court (HC) today seeking direction from the court upon the government to take immediate steps to halt the construction of the proposed Tipaimukh dam.

In the writ petition, 'inaction of the government to stop the process of constructing the Tipaimukh Dam was challenged'.

The writ petition also prayed to the court to issue a rule upon the government to explain why its decision on sending a parliamentary team to visit the Tipai Dam site without having exact information and data regarding the dam from India should not be declared illegal.

Abu Naser Rahmatullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) filed the writ petition as a public interest litigation.

The lawyer for the petitioner advocate Tajul Islam told The Daily Star that hearing of the petition will be held tomorrow.

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=18321