BanglaBhoot
RETIRED TTA
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- Apr 8, 2007
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Muhammad Eusha
Operation of all the dams significantly affecting Bangladesh have been built and completed by India after the end of the 1971 Liberation War
Rivers do not flow respecting political boundaries. A river originating in one country can whimsically cross human-declared invisible borders, and enter another.
A country upstream can take advantage of her geographic location to deprive countries downstream of a fair share of water by constructing dams across the shared river(s).
Dams can be designed to impound or regulate the flow of a stream of water. As India and China both have major projects proposed to add to the damming of rivers that flow into Bangladesh, their building is of major concern to the national interest.
While much good can result for the country upstream from constructing a dam in terms of power generation and seasonal control of water flow, the country downstream barely benefits from such structures across rivers. And this has been the case, unsurprisingly, for Bangladesh a country which has suffered alarmingly over the past few decades because of the Indian dams across common rivers.
A much neglected and quite surprisingly ignored fact about the river-water sharing problem between Bangladesh and India is: operation of all the dams significantly affecting Bangladesh have been built and completed by India after the end of the 1971 Liberation War. Construction of the Farakka barrage, for example began in 1961, it was not finished and did not begin operations until 1975.
It did not take long for Bangladesh to realise that she was being deprived of an equitable share of the water. Although protests were made, a lot of hue and cry resulted in nothing noteworthy as India refused to co-operate.
The Farakka barrage has had a devastating effect on Bangladesh, affecting not only the ecological balance and diversity of the region but also the people to whom the rivers waters have always been very important in terms of livelihood.
Those who used to find sustenance from what once used to be a majestic river are now floating to cities like Dhaka and Chittagong in search of menial jobs, showing the gravity of the economic affliction the dam has brought to Bangladesh.
A point to be noted here is, artificial obstruction to the natural flow of a major river affects a surprising number of small rivers and rivulets downstream. Anyone can easily appreciate this by observing the complex river flow networks of Bengal. So the Farakka barrage does not produce adverse effects only on one river but on all the connected branches as well.
More recently the Teesta barrage, (operational 1985) has had similar effects on its adjacent regions, bringing inauspicious changes to the way people resident there are able to live their lives.
Preparations for the much-debated and much-hated project, the Tipaimukh dam, also started after the bifurcation of once united Pakistan.
Let us now look at the rivers common to India and Pakistan. The Pakistani province of Punjab is famous for its five rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. All these rivers have their origins in India, except one which flows from a location in China.
India agreed to sign the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in 1960 and some sources claim that both the countries have been sincere in abiding by the clauses specified.
Barring some occasional complaints raised by Pakistan of treaty violations by India, it seems the country downstream is not overly unhappy with the amount of water India is passing through to Pakistan.
India is currently building a dam at Nimzoo Bagin, in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan accused India of infringement of consolidated terms and conditions since construction began; however India has rejected such claims saying she was committed to observing terms agreed by treaty and was not doing anything unlawful by it. Similar dispute had arisen about the construction of the Baglihar dam across the Chenab.
However, arbitration was possible in this case because the World Bank (as broker of the treaty) was enabled to appoint a Swiss engineer (Raymond Lafitte) to investigate Pakistans objections. He later declared that the construction of the dam in question was not a violation of the treaty.
To a neutral observer, it seems, the Indians have been respectful to their treaty commitments, allowing Pakistan a fair share of waters affected by their dam building and even the wars of 1965 and 1971 have not derailed the water-sharing scenario much.
Bangladesh, however, has not been treated with similar respect. After the 1971 liberation war, the newly born state was systematically and disdainfully deprived of water. The question is why is Bangladesh a weak small nation, and Pakistan a nuclear weapon capable country, being treated differently in terms of water sharing?
One can also ask if there is any significance of the fact that all the dams did start operation after the bifurcation of once united Pakistan. Instead of trying to answer these uncomfortable questions myself, I would allow the wise readers an opportunity to exercise their intellect and imagination.
Bangladesh
Operation of all the dams significantly affecting Bangladesh have been built and completed by India after the end of the 1971 Liberation War
Rivers do not flow respecting political boundaries. A river originating in one country can whimsically cross human-declared invisible borders, and enter another.
A country upstream can take advantage of her geographic location to deprive countries downstream of a fair share of water by constructing dams across the shared river(s).
Dams can be designed to impound or regulate the flow of a stream of water. As India and China both have major projects proposed to add to the damming of rivers that flow into Bangladesh, their building is of major concern to the national interest.
While much good can result for the country upstream from constructing a dam in terms of power generation and seasonal control of water flow, the country downstream barely benefits from such structures across rivers. And this has been the case, unsurprisingly, for Bangladesh a country which has suffered alarmingly over the past few decades because of the Indian dams across common rivers.
A much neglected and quite surprisingly ignored fact about the river-water sharing problem between Bangladesh and India is: operation of all the dams significantly affecting Bangladesh have been built and completed by India after the end of the 1971 Liberation War. Construction of the Farakka barrage, for example began in 1961, it was not finished and did not begin operations until 1975.
It did not take long for Bangladesh to realise that she was being deprived of an equitable share of the water. Although protests were made, a lot of hue and cry resulted in nothing noteworthy as India refused to co-operate.
The Farakka barrage has had a devastating effect on Bangladesh, affecting not only the ecological balance and diversity of the region but also the people to whom the rivers waters have always been very important in terms of livelihood.
Those who used to find sustenance from what once used to be a majestic river are now floating to cities like Dhaka and Chittagong in search of menial jobs, showing the gravity of the economic affliction the dam has brought to Bangladesh.
A point to be noted here is, artificial obstruction to the natural flow of a major river affects a surprising number of small rivers and rivulets downstream. Anyone can easily appreciate this by observing the complex river flow networks of Bengal. So the Farakka barrage does not produce adverse effects only on one river but on all the connected branches as well.
More recently the Teesta barrage, (operational 1985) has had similar effects on its adjacent regions, bringing inauspicious changes to the way people resident there are able to live their lives.
Preparations for the much-debated and much-hated project, the Tipaimukh dam, also started after the bifurcation of once united Pakistan.
Let us now look at the rivers common to India and Pakistan. The Pakistani province of Punjab is famous for its five rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. All these rivers have their origins in India, except one which flows from a location in China.
India agreed to sign the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in 1960 and some sources claim that both the countries have been sincere in abiding by the clauses specified.
Barring some occasional complaints raised by Pakistan of treaty violations by India, it seems the country downstream is not overly unhappy with the amount of water India is passing through to Pakistan.
India is currently building a dam at Nimzoo Bagin, in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan accused India of infringement of consolidated terms and conditions since construction began; however India has rejected such claims saying she was committed to observing terms agreed by treaty and was not doing anything unlawful by it. Similar dispute had arisen about the construction of the Baglihar dam across the Chenab.
However, arbitration was possible in this case because the World Bank (as broker of the treaty) was enabled to appoint a Swiss engineer (Raymond Lafitte) to investigate Pakistans objections. He later declared that the construction of the dam in question was not a violation of the treaty.
To a neutral observer, it seems, the Indians have been respectful to their treaty commitments, allowing Pakistan a fair share of waters affected by their dam building and even the wars of 1965 and 1971 have not derailed the water-sharing scenario much.
Bangladesh, however, has not been treated with similar respect. After the 1971 liberation war, the newly born state was systematically and disdainfully deprived of water. The question is why is Bangladesh a weak small nation, and Pakistan a nuclear weapon capable country, being treated differently in terms of water sharing?
One can also ask if there is any significance of the fact that all the dams did start operation after the bifurcation of once united Pakistan. Instead of trying to answer these uncomfortable questions myself, I would allow the wise readers an opportunity to exercise their intellect and imagination.
Bangladesh
