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BD opposes building 2 dams in Meghalaya
BD opposes building 2 dams in Meghalaya :: Financial Express :: Financial Newspaper of Bangladesh
Published : Thursday, 11 April 2013
FE Report
Bangladesh has opposed the construction of two hydro-based power projects along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya until the two countries sign a water sharing agreement, Indian Power Minister Clement Marak informed the state Assembly Wednesday, The Indian Express reported.
A Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) member in his letter to the Union Ministry of Water Resources had said the two dams might cause adverse impacts in various sectors in Bangladesh due to change of water flow, Marak said replying to a call attention motion moved by opposition United Democratic Party leader Paul Lyngdoh.
Meghalaya is in the process of constructing dams on two rivers - the Mawphu dam across river Umiew and Myntdu dam across river Myntdu in East Khasi Hills and West Jaintia Hills districts, respectively.
The JRC member had also requested not to proceed with the construction of two dams until impact assessment on various sectors had been jointly conducted and water sharing agreements of the two common rivers had been signed by the two countries, the newspaper reported quoting the minister.
While there was no further communication from the ministry since January 7 last with regard to offering a stake to Bangladesh in the two projects, the minister assured of no river diversion as such.
Marak said state-owned Meghalaya Electricity Corporation Ltd which was generating power from the Myntdu hydel power projects had informed the Ministry of Water Resources that the project would not have any water impoundment.
He said the the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd has indicated the same in their pre-feasibility report of Mawphu hydel project.
"The project shall utilise mostly the available discharge in the river, drawn through a 4.07 km-long tunnel to the power house generating 362.53 million units, meeting the same river downstream through a 45 meter-long channel," he said.
Paul in his call attention motion said the opposition of Bangladesh in the power projects ran the risk of depriving power starved Meghalaya of its potential in the hydro-power sector, besides losing a lot of time in resolving the issue.
He urged the state government to respond to the issue at the earliest so that Meghalaya could benefit from the two projects.
India is already in tussle with China and Pakistan over other hydro projects. Indian plans to divert water from the Kishanganga had been held up by Islamabad's objection that they violated the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty, according to the Indian newspaper.
On the other hand, India is apprehensive about the dams being built by China on the Brahmaputra river, it reported.
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Dhaka concerned as India plans to build 2 more dams
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/index.php?ref=MjBfMTJfMjBfMTJfMV8yXzE1Mzc2NQ==
Official letter sent to Delhi
Published : Thursday, 20 December 2012
After Tipaimukh, India is again planning unilaterally to build two hydroelectricity dams on two common rivers in its Meghalaya state, and Bangladesh has expressed concern over it, reports bdnews24.com.
The government has officially taken up the issue with the Indian authorities and expressed its concern, sources in the foreign and water resources ministries told the news agency.
"We have learnt that they are planning to build two dams for producing hydroelectricity on Umiew and Myntdu rivers in Meghalaya state, which they cannot do without prior consultation with the downstream country," said a senior official in the Water Resources Ministry.
"We asked them not to proceed with the projects," he said.
"These two are common rivers and Bangladesh would not allow any construction on any common river without proper study."
Citing example of Tipaimukh dam on Barak river in Manipur state, the official said, "Bangladesh raised its concern over Tipaimukh and now we are conducting a joint study on the impact of the dam on the country."
The sub-group of the Joint River Commission (JRC) started its study in September this year and is expected to come up with a conclusion in Jan 2014, he said.
Although the Indian authorities are yet to give any feedback on the letter or communicate with the government about when they would provide any feedback, Bangladesh would raise the issue at different operational level meetings in the future, he added.
A foreign ministry senior official said the government sent the letter last week and another letter is expected to be sent next week.
"We will raise the issue at different platforms in addition to the operational level meetings of the JRC," he said.
"It can be a letter from our foreign ministry to the Indian external affairs ministry or (we can raise it) at the Foreign Office Consultation or Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting," he said.
BD opposes building 2 dams in Meghalaya :: Financial Express :: Financial Newspaper of Bangladesh
Published : Thursday, 11 April 2013
FE Report
Bangladesh has opposed the construction of two hydro-based power projects along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya until the two countries sign a water sharing agreement, Indian Power Minister Clement Marak informed the state Assembly Wednesday, The Indian Express reported.
A Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) member in his letter to the Union Ministry of Water Resources had said the two dams might cause adverse impacts in various sectors in Bangladesh due to change of water flow, Marak said replying to a call attention motion moved by opposition United Democratic Party leader Paul Lyngdoh.
Meghalaya is in the process of constructing dams on two rivers - the Mawphu dam across river Umiew and Myntdu dam across river Myntdu in East Khasi Hills and West Jaintia Hills districts, respectively.
The JRC member had also requested not to proceed with the construction of two dams until impact assessment on various sectors had been jointly conducted and water sharing agreements of the two common rivers had been signed by the two countries, the newspaper reported quoting the minister.
While there was no further communication from the ministry since January 7 last with regard to offering a stake to Bangladesh in the two projects, the minister assured of no river diversion as such.
Marak said state-owned Meghalaya Electricity Corporation Ltd which was generating power from the Myntdu hydel power projects had informed the Ministry of Water Resources that the project would not have any water impoundment.
He said the the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd has indicated the same in their pre-feasibility report of Mawphu hydel project.
"The project shall utilise mostly the available discharge in the river, drawn through a 4.07 km-long tunnel to the power house generating 362.53 million units, meeting the same river downstream through a 45 meter-long channel," he said.
Paul in his call attention motion said the opposition of Bangladesh in the power projects ran the risk of depriving power starved Meghalaya of its potential in the hydro-power sector, besides losing a lot of time in resolving the issue.
He urged the state government to respond to the issue at the earliest so that Meghalaya could benefit from the two projects.
India is already in tussle with China and Pakistan over other hydro projects. Indian plans to divert water from the Kishanganga had been held up by Islamabad's objection that they violated the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty, according to the Indian newspaper.
On the other hand, India is apprehensive about the dams being built by China on the Brahmaputra river, it reported.
===============================================================
Dhaka concerned as India plans to build 2 more dams
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/index.php?ref=MjBfMTJfMjBfMTJfMV8yXzE1Mzc2NQ==
Official letter sent to Delhi
Published : Thursday, 20 December 2012
After Tipaimukh, India is again planning unilaterally to build two hydroelectricity dams on two common rivers in its Meghalaya state, and Bangladesh has expressed concern over it, reports bdnews24.com.
The government has officially taken up the issue with the Indian authorities and expressed its concern, sources in the foreign and water resources ministries told the news agency.
"We have learnt that they are planning to build two dams for producing hydroelectricity on Umiew and Myntdu rivers in Meghalaya state, which they cannot do without prior consultation with the downstream country," said a senior official in the Water Resources Ministry.
"We asked them not to proceed with the projects," he said.
"These two are common rivers and Bangladesh would not allow any construction on any common river without proper study."
Citing example of Tipaimukh dam on Barak river in Manipur state, the official said, "Bangladesh raised its concern over Tipaimukh and now we are conducting a joint study on the impact of the dam on the country."
The sub-group of the Joint River Commission (JRC) started its study in September this year and is expected to come up with a conclusion in Jan 2014, he said.
Although the Indian authorities are yet to give any feedback on the letter or communicate with the government about when they would provide any feedback, Bangladesh would raise the issue at different operational level meetings in the future, he added.
A foreign ministry senior official said the government sent the letter last week and another letter is expected to be sent next week.
"We will raise the issue at different platforms in addition to the operational level meetings of the JRC," he said.
"It can be a letter from our foreign ministry to the Indian external affairs ministry or (we can raise it) at the Foreign Office Consultation or Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting," he said.
now that forum will be fcuked
