India working to make Bangladesh a desert

[idune]

India resumes work on Tipaimukh barrage

India has started construction of Tipaimukh barrage barely one kilometer away from Jakiganj border threatening to dry up the flow of the Surma and Kushiara rivers during the winter.

The barrage on the Barak River at Churachandpur district in Assam will render barren vast arable lands in north-east of Bangladesh, change ecology and climate in the region. Officials of the Water Development Board told UNB today that work on the barrage was started in March 2007 but postponed in the face of protest within and outside India. A long march from Sylhet to Jakiganj and environmentalists in India had strongly protested construction of the barrage.

They said Indian state-owned NIPCO Company recently started the groundwork on the barrage. An appraisal committee of river valley and hydro-electric experts of India issued the clearance certificate for the barrage few months ago.

Sajjadul Hasan, deputy Commissioner of Sylhet, said he would inform the appropriate quarter about the latest development on Tipaimukh barrage. The barrage at the catchment of Surma and Kushiara rivers at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore is aimed at building up a 1500-megawatt hydel project. When completed by 2012 the barrage, 350km Surma River and 110km Kushiara River will dry up in the winter seriously affecting agriculture and bringing about ecological change in the region, experts said.

The New Nation - Internet Edition

 

[AK-47]

Wow, news only says that they are building barge. You added your own title to bash India, how clever.

 

[idune]

Wow, news only says that they are building barge. You added your own title to bash India, how clever.

Read and understand the news carefully. Only people with no knowledge or pretending on history of water withdrwal by India will make such comments.

 

[idune]

Bangladesh Protests Less Water from India

Bangladesh has protested that New Delhi has deprived Dhaka of its share of the Ganges water as stipulated in the Gangers Water Sharing Treaty 1996 and has not heeded the complaints Dhaka earlier registered with Indian authorities.

In four schedules, from January 1 to February 10, India provided Bangladesh with water 38,072 cusecs less than what is specified in the indicative schedule 2, according to the statistics with the Joint Rivers Commission.


Syed Sajjad Hossain, a commission member, told New Age that Dhaka wrote to Delhi immediately after getting less flow through the Ganges in the first two schedules, between January 1 and January 20. It sent a letter to New Delhi after January 29 and then another letter on February 13.


In the letter, Bangladesh protested against India's action of allowing less water to flow through the Farakka Barrage and urged New Delhi to go by the deal.


'We are, unfortunately, yet to get any positive response from India and we continue to receive less flow of water at the Farakka Barrage point,' said a high official of the ministry.


A commission release said Dhaka received 45,113 cusecs in the first 10 days of February against the share of 46,323 cusecs in keeping with the indicative schedule 2 of the treaty signed between the two next-door neighbours.


In January, Bangladesh received 36,962 cusecs less water through the Ganges. In three schedules of January, Dhaka received 1,39,481 cusecs against its share of 1,75,343 cusecs.


According to the treaty, Dhaka and New Delhi will get equal share between January 1 and May 31 if the amount is 70,000 cusecs or less at the Farakka Barrage point.


If the amount ranges between 70,000 cusecs and 75,000 cusecs, Dhaka will get 35,000 cusecs, with the rest going to India.


If the amount is more than 75,000 cusecs, Delhi will receive 40,000 cusecs, with the rest going to Bangladesh.


When contacted, Sanjib Singla, first secretary (political) to the Indian High Commission, said Bangladesh had so far received more water during the period than it did in 2007.


He said it was 'absolutely wrong' that Bangladesh deserved more water in keeping with the treaty. 'Both the countries are receiving water as per the treaty.'


'The schedule is based on historical average which also depends on extraneous factors beyond control such as change in global weather pattern,' he said. 'In view of global weather pattern, both Bangladesh and India need to emphasise better water management.'

The South Asian: Bangladesh Protests Less Water from India

 

[idune]

Bangladesh fears disaster as India plans to divert rivers

A proposal by India to re-route waterways, including the Ganges, has alarmed its neighbour downstream, writes John Vidal from Dhaka.


Indian plans to divert vast quantities of water from major rivers, including the Ganges and Brahmaputra, threaten the livelihoods of more than 100 million people downstream in Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi Government fears.

Ministers are so concerned that they are considering appealing to the United Nations to redraft international law on water sharing.

The ambitious Indian plans to link rivers flowing from the Himalayas and divert them south to drought-prone areas are still on the drawing board, but Bangladeshi Government scientists estimated that even a 10 to 20 per cent reduction in the water flow to the country could dry out great areas for much of the year. More than 80 per cent of Bangladesh's 20 million small farmers grow rice and depend on water that has flowed through India.

"The idea of linking these rivers is very dangerous. It could affect the whole of Bangladesh and be disastrous," said Water Resources Minister Hafiz Ahmad. "The north of Bangladesh is already drying out after the Ganges was dammed by India in 1976," Mr Ahmad said. "Now India is planning to do the same on (many of) the 53 other rivers that enter the country via India. Bangladesh depends completely on water."

The minister said the Government had protested to India but had so far not had any response. "Without this water, we cannot survive," he said. "If (rice) production falls, then we would not know how to survive. We want no kind of war, but international law on sharing water is unsure and we would request the UN to frame a new law. It would be a last resort."

The Indian Government is preparing to seek international funds for its giant river-linking project, intended to divert water from the north of the country to drought-prone southern and eastern states. Up to a third of the flow of the Brahmaputra and other rivers could be diverted to southern Indian rivers to provide 173 billion cubic metres of water a year, supplying millions of people in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka states with more reliable drinking and irrigation water.

But the plan - which could cost between $70 billion and $200 billion and take at least 14 years to implement, making it potentially the largest and most expensive water project in the world - would redraw the subcontinent's hydrological map with immense ecological and social consequences.

It involves building hundreds of reservoirs and digging more than 1000 kilometres of canals.

Preliminary estimates by environment groups suggest that more than 7800 square kilometres of land could be flooded and three million people forced off their land.

India's national water development agency, which is backing the scheme, has said it will divert enough water to irrigate 350,000 square kilometres of farmland and produce 34,000 megawatts of hydroelectricity - much of which would be needed to pump the water around.

"This could trigger a long-term disaster on the subcontinent and trigger bloodshed in the region," said Shashanka Saadi, of Action Aid Bangladesh.

Bangladesh already knows the consequences of India restricting its water. The Farakka barrage, built across the Ganges 18 kilometres from the Bangladeshi border in 1974, had at times of the year reduced by half the water that once flowed into Bangladesh, turning large parts into desert, Mr Ahmad said.

- Guardian

Bangladesh fears disaster as India plans to divert rivers - theage.com.au

 

[BanglaBhoot]

And Indians are surprised why BD is hostile towards them ......

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Tipaimukh dam restarts to dry up Surma, Kushiara

With the end of winter the rivers in Bangladesh begin to dry up. The consequence of dams, dykes and barrages built on major rivers by upper riparian India has been disastrous for Bangladesh. Free flow of water in the Padma has been hindered. A process of desertification has already started and even the dredging proved fruitless to keep the navigability intact. Besides, this has created ecological imbalance in the whole country. Irrigation has been hampered.

Building barrage over Tipaimukh will dry up the flow of rivers Surma and Kushiara rendering a vast tract of land in Sylhet fallow. Despite vigorous protests from Bangladesh side work on Tipaimukh barrage in Assam resumes and this is not taken kindly by the lower riparian people.

UNB adds: India has started construction of Tipaimukh barrage barely one kilometer away from Jakiganj border threatening to dry up the flow of the Surma and Kushiara rivers during the winter.

The barrage on the Barak River at Churachandpur district in Assam will render barren vast arable lands in north-east of Bangladesh, change ecology and climate in the region.

Officials of the Water Development Board told UNB today that work on the barrage was started in March 2007 but postponed in the face of protest within and outside India. A long march from Sylhet to Jakiganj and environmentalists in India had strongly protested construction of the barrage.
They said Indian state-owned NIPCO Company recently started the groundwork on the barrage. An appraisal committee of river valley and hydro-electric experts of India issued the clearance certificate for the barrage few months ago.

Sajjadul Hasan, deputy Commissioner of Sylhet, said he would inform the appropriate quarter about the latest development on Tipaimukh barrage.
The barrage at the catchment of Surma and Kushiara rivers at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore is aimed at building up a 1500-megawatt hydel project.
When completed by 2012 the barrage, 350km Surma River and 110km Kushiara River will dry up in the winter seriously affecting agriculture and bringing about ecological change in the region, experts said.

The News Today

 

[AK-47]

Bangladesh fears disaster as India plans to divert rivers

A proposal by India to re-route waterways, including the Ganges, has alarmed its neighbour downstream, writes John Vidal from Dhaka.


Indian plans to divert vast quantities of water from major rivers, including the Ganges and Brahmaputra, threaten the livelihoods of more than 100 million people downstream in Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi Government fears.

Ministers are so concerned that they are considering appealing to the United Nations to redraft international law on water sharing.

The ambitious Indian plans to link rivers flowing from the Himalayas and divert them south to drought-prone areas are still on the drawing board, but Bangladeshi Government scientists estimated that even a 10 to 20 per cent reduction in the water flow to the country could dry out great areas for much of the year. More than 80 per cent of Bangladesh's 20 million small farmers grow rice and depend on water that has flowed through India.

"The idea of linking these rivers is very dangerous. It could affect the whole of Bangladesh and be disastrous," said Water Resources Minister Hafiz Ahmad. "The north of Bangladesh is already drying out after the Ganges was dammed by India in 1976," Mr Ahmad said. "Now India is planning to do the same on (many of) the 53 other rivers that enter the country via India. Bangladesh depends completely on water."

The minister said the Government had protested to India but had so far not had any response. "Without this water, we cannot survive," he said. "If (rice) production falls, then we would not know how to survive. We want no kind of war, but international law on sharing water is unsure and we would request the UN to frame a new law. It would be a last resort."

The Indian Government is preparing to seek international funds for its giant river-linking project, intended to divert water from the north of the country to drought-prone southern and eastern states. Up to a third of the flow of the Brahmaputra and other rivers could be diverted to southern Indian rivers to provide 173 billion cubic metres of water a year, supplying millions of people in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka states with more reliable drinking and irrigation water.

But the plan - which could cost between $70 billion and $200 billion and take at least 14 years to implement, making it potentially the largest and most expensive water project in the world - would redraw the subcontinent's hydrological map with immense ecological and social consequences.

It involves building hundreds of reservoirs and digging more than 1000 kilometres of canals.

Preliminary estimates by environment groups suggest that more than 7800 square kilometres of land could be flooded and three million people forced off their land.

India's national water development agency, which is backing the scheme, has said it will divert enough water to irrigate 350,000 square kilometres of farmland and produce 34,000 megawatts of hydroelectricity - much of which would be needed to pump the water around.

"This could trigger a long-term disaster on the subcontinent and trigger bloodshed in the region," said Shashanka Saadi, of Action Aid Bangladesh.

Bangladesh already knows the consequences of India restricting its water. The Farakka barrage, built across the Ganges 18 kilometres from the Bangladeshi border in 1974, had at times of the year reduced by half the water that once flowed into Bangladesh, turning large parts into desert, Mr Ahmad said.

- Guardian

Bangladesh fears disaster as India plans to divert rivers - theage.com.au

Why only article from 2003, I am pretty sure you can go ever further.

 

[Vinod2070]

And Indians are surprised why BD is hostile towards them ......

Just because of you, I hope the news is true.

Don't try to find excuses for your hostility. You are hostile because you are made that way. The excuses for the hostility come later!

 

[idune]

Teesta dam project irks locals

24 Jul 2002, 0201 hrs IST, Anjana Pradhan, TNN


DARJEELING: Representatives from various NGOs and the National Hydel Power Corporation thrashed out the pros and cons of the proposed Teesta low dam project, stages III and IV, and its effect on the residents of Kalijhora, Gielle and 29th Mile.
The local populace had expressed their anger over the project.
A panel discussion was organised by the Darjeeling NGO network to discuss the Teesta dam project at the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan on Sunday.
Under the present project, about 184 hectare of forest land (81 hectare under stage III and 103 hectare under stage IV) including the famous picnic spot of Kalijhora will get submerged, they alleged. At least 2.5 km of NH 31A will also have to be realigned due to the construction work.
“The dam if constructed according to the current plan, will submerge the local graveyard,” said Shyam Basnet chief co-ordinator of Jana Kalyan Manch, Kalijhora.
“Studies conducted by the NHPC have been onesided as they ignored the opinion of the people of Kalijhora, said Bharat P. Rai, secretary of Federation of Societies for Environmental Protection.
There should be transparency in the proposed project, added Rai.
The environmentalists fear that the dam would submerge large tracts of land upstream and endanger the existing flora and fauna.
The dam, if constructed, will also increase the rate of erosion and threaten the stability of the surrounding hills, increasing chances of landslides that may trigger seismic disturbances in the region.
According to the meteorological department, the area falls under seismic zone level IV.
“The rate of sedimentation on Teesta River is about 17.2 million tonnes annually which can affect the lifespan of the dam,” said Dr. Subir Sarkar, professor of North Bengal University.
The NHPC should consider the seismicity and rate of sedimentation, while drawing a plan of the dam, added Sarkar.
“The Teesta dam is an eco-friendly project that has been designed over a period of 100 years,” said G. Vaidhya, civil engineer NHPC.

Teesta dam project irks locals-Kolkata -Cities-The Times of India

 

[slugger]

The formation of a desert requires the presence of certain climatic factors and requirements, which do not exist in Bangladesh

If at all anything the opposite is true in case of Bangladesh - owing to Global Warming water levels in Banglsdesh would rise to alarming levels submerging significant parts of Bangladesh

The very opposite of desert formation will occur in Bangladesh

 

[haviZsultan]

We are both victims of the same Indian terror. Alas what did we gain by deviding ourselves. We are both simple targets for Indian terrorism and bullying. India wants to keep us both under its thumb.

 

[haviZsultan]

if you dont have the resources to sustain a populace of 150 million dont rely on other countries to provide them

There is a certain indian hindu terrorist hiding behind a pakistani flag. Wonder who it is?

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Yes a good question dimension117. These Indians are devious and cunning and must be confronted with a barrel of a gun.

 

[Vinod2070]

Yes a good question dimension117. These Indians are devious and cunning and must be confronted with a barrel of a gun.

But they surrendered in their thousands and dropped the gun along with the barrel at the sight of the same Indians!

Guess it was good for you. Though I hope the Indians would have delayed the advance by a day.

May be just may be we would have one less lunatic here!