The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rajshahi

Speakers at a seminar here on Saturday underscored the need for raising strong voices against the water aggression to protect the country's sovereignty.

"The sovereignty is facing a dangerous situation due to the water aggression by the neighbouring country," they said while addressing the seminar on "Water aggression: sovereignty of Bangladesh" arranged by National Interest Group (NIG) at Zila Parishad auditorium here this afternoon. Professor Tareque Shamsur Rahman of the International Relations Department of Rajshahi University (RU) was the keynote speaker of the seminar held with Professor Dr AKM Azharul Islam, former Vice-Chancellor of International Islamic University, Chittagong, in the chair.

Professor Dr Sarwar Jahan, Director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences of the RU, made his address of welcome describing various negative impacts on environment due to withdrawal of upstream water by Farakka Barrage.

They said due water share in the Padma River must be ensured for the sake of protecting both the northern and southern regions from desertification along with water salinity. The river is not getting due share of water according to the 30-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty between Bangladesh and India.

Former Fuel Adviser Mahmudur Rahman, columnists Dr Farhad Majher and Ataus Samad, former Director General of the BDR Maj Gen (retd) ALM Fazlur Rahman, former RU Prof Ebney Golam Samad, RU Prof Shah Habibur Rahman and Advocate Nazmus Sadaat, among others, also spoke on the occasion.

Discussants said at least 80 rivers and tributaries out of 230 in the country dried up due to the Farakka Barrage during the past three decades. The mighty Padma River has become a closed water body and is now facing a drying condition due to unilateral withdrawal of water from its upstream point.

The water level is being reduced rapidly and it has been reached to a record lowest mark during the current dry season. A huge number of big shoals have been emerged in the river and its mainstream has split into many tiny and small confluents.

The water flow has gone to a lowest level for the first time this season in comparison to the last 10 years posing a serious threat to environment along with biodiversity and aquatic vegetation.

Various types of crops especially IRRI-Boro paddy and maize are being cultivated on the riverbed. Moreover, the small rivers and tributaries of the Padma River are on a drying condition due to withdrawal of water by Farakka Barrage. The entire northern and southern regions of the country, particularly the vast tract of Barind area, have been facing an ecological imbalance situation due to adverse impact of the gradual drying condition of the river. Following abnormal reduction of water flow, more other major rivers have turned into dying canals, shoals have been emerged in the riverbeds and salinity has been enhanced in the estuarine (sea-belt) areas. As result of that, Bangladesh has been facing a dangerous environmental degradation.

In 1971, the river way was 24,140 kilometers that connected eight per cent areas of the country, but it has been reduced to 3,800 kilometers in the every winter season at present. Speakers pointed out that the Indian authorities have built infrastructures on the upstream of the 54 trans-border rivers to withdraw water. In this context, they said due to the unilateral withdrawal of water, various negative impacts on environment are visible that include untimely flooding, waterlogging, river erosion and ecological degradation.

Meanwhile, they said the ground water table has been lowering in the vast tract of Barind area with the reduction of the water level in the Padma River resulting in nonfunctioning of most of the hand-driven tubewells. Around 80 to 90 per cent shallow tubewells in the area have already become ineffective. Drawing attention of the international agencies concerned in this regard, they said India should remove the water-withdrawal projects on all the trans-border rivers of the two countries.