River linking project

Foreign ministry yet to receive JRC letter to India

Though, the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) claims that they have sent a letter through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Indian authorities urging them not to transfer water from the Brahmaputra Basin under their river linking projects, the Foreign Ministry says it has not received any such letter.
 The central government of India has taken up a grand plan of linking rivers across the country, mostly rivers from the Himalayas, and announced that it will be connecting Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga in Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. The decision for linking Manas- Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga was announced by India’s Minister of State for Water Resources, Sanwar Lal Jat, on July 13 after the fifth meeting of the special committee on Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) in New Delhi.
 It evoked widespread criticism in Bangladesh from experts and different political parties, who decried it as a step that would lead to the desertification of Bangladesh. As a deltaic country Bangladesh cannot survive without the water from the Himalayas flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
Against this backdrop, Bangladesh has taken up the issue strongly and prepared a letter for the Indian authorities urging them not to go ahead with the plan, which could have an adverse impact on Bangladesh.
 “We have sent a letter on July 20 to the Foreign Ministry through the Water Resources Ministry urging Indian authorities not to transfer water from the Brahmaputra basin to other basin as it would seriously harm the morphology of rivers and its environment,” Mir Sajjad Hossain, Member, JRC told The Independent on Thursday.
The letter also reminded the Indian authorities about the pledge made by their Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, during his Dhaka visit on June 6. He committed that India would not take up any project that would harm Bangladesh.  When the Foreign Secretary, Shahidul Haque, was contacted regarding the JRC letter, he replied, “We are yet to get such a letter from the concerned ministry or department.”
Withdrawal of water by India using various canals built upstream on rivers common to Bangladesh and India has created a threat of desertification in many parts of the country, Dr S I Khan, former UN official on water told The Independent.
Criticising India’s ILR initiatives, he said, “India is planning to destroy Bangladesh by withdrawing water upstream. If the Indian river linking project is implemented, entire Bangladesh faces the threat of desertification. Bangladesh is still not getting proper share of water as India is already diverting water upstream through different canals. So, now is the time to solve the problem through the Sixth Committee of the United Nations.”

 

 

River linking project

Foreign ministry yet to receive JRC letter to India

Though, the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) claims that they have sent a letter through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Indian authorities urging them not to transfer water from the Brahmaputra Basin under their river linking projects, the Foreign Ministry says it has not received any such letter. The central government of India has taken up a grand plan of linking rivers across the country, mostly rivers from the Himalayas, and announced that it will be connecting Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga in Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. The decision for linking Manas- Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga was announced by Indias Minister of State for Water Resources, Sanwar Lal Jat, on July 13 after the fifth meeting of the special committee on Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) in New Delhi. It evoked widespread criticism in Bangladesh from experts and different political parties, who decried it as a step that would lead to the desertification of Bangladesh. As a deltaic country Bangladesh cannot survive without the water from the Himalayas flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Against this backdrop, Bangladesh has taken up the issue strongly and prepared a letter for the Indian authorities urging them not to go ahead with the plan, which could have an adverse impact on Bangladesh. We have sent a letter on July 20 to the Foreign Ministry through the Water Resources Ministry urging Indian authorities not to transfer water from the Brahmaputra basin to other basin as it would seriously harm the morphology of rivers and its environment, Mir Sajjad Hossain, Member, JRC told The Independent on Thursday. The letter also reminded the Indian authorities about the pledge made by their Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, during his Dhaka visit on June 6. He committed that India would not take up any project that would harm Bangladesh. When the Foreign Secretary, Shahidul Haque, was contacted regarding the JRC letter, he replied, We are yet to get such a letter from the concerned ministry or department. Withdrawal of water by India using various canals built upstream on rivers common to Bangladesh and India has created a threat of desertification in many parts of the country, Dr S I Khan, former UN official on water told The Independent. Criticising Indias ILR initiatives, he said, India is planning to destroy Bangladesh by withdrawing water upstream. If the Indian river linking project is implemented, entire Bangladesh faces the threat of desertification. Bangladesh is still not getting proper share of water as India is already diverting water upstream through different canals. So, now is the time to solve the problem through the Sixth Committee of the United Nations.