The New Nation - Internet Edition

Ariful Huq

India is going on with the Tipaimukh Dam project on the river Barak without taking into consideration the interests of Bangladesh, a stakeholder in the Barak-Surma-Kushiara-Meghna river basin. A cross section of the people of the Surma valley the other day demonstrated against the project and termed it as contrary to the UN Watercourses Convention, 1997. They observed that it would spell catastrophic disaster to the riverine civilisation of the basin both in India and Bangladesh. The demonstrators urged the Indian authority to immediately refrain from going ahead with the controversial project.

The Barak is an international river. It is an integral part of the greater Barak-Surma-Kushiara-Meghna river system and is the cradle of the riverine civilisation in the region. This river is a source of water for the Surma, the lifeline of the Sylhet region. Being the lower riparian country, Bangladesh is going to suffer the most as a result of unilateral withdrawal of water by India. Any big project like this presupposes environmental, economic and social impact assessment to see the likely effect over the region. This study must cover the whole river basin extended over both India and Bangladesh. But nothing like this is known to have been done. Bangladesh has already suffered much because of the similar withdrawal of the Ganges water. Withdrawal of water at the Tipaimukh will have no less adverse effect. The lower part of the river in Bangladesh is likely to die for lack of the minimum flow during the lean period. Ecology of the lower region in Bangladesh including crops, plants and forest will be harmed seriously. But, on the other hand, during the monsoon when India will wide open the sluice gates of the dam to let the excess water roll down the river, it would create flash flood causing havoc over the lower regions.

The Indian part of the Barak basin is also likely to be affected, as has been the case in some West Bengal districts as a result of the Farakka Barrage.

It is expected that India would be respectful to international laws governing the water management of the common rivers and would drop the project. She should do this in the interests of friendly and good neighbourly relationship with Bangladesh.

Only a project conducive to the interests of both the countries can be adopted jointly by India and Bangladesh. However, the unfortunate part of this bilateral good relationship is that the Delhi lords suffer from a rigid psychic state and they tend to play a big-brotherly game with their small neighbours. The end result of this has not proved to be too good for them or India.