Teesta water-sharing

Experts brush aside Mamata proposal

Experts and officials have rejected the proposal of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee that Bangladesh should look for alternative sources of water other than the Teesta. On Saturday, Banerjee said in New Delhi that the Teesta did not have enough water to meet the needs of Bangladesh and, hence, it should seek water from other rivers like the Torsa and the Jaldhaka in the northern part of West Bengal. Bangladesh’s experts have described Banerjee’s proposal as totally baseless, ill-motivated and unacceptable. The experts have estimated losses of Tk. 13,500 crore annually as a result of withdrawal of water by India, arguing that Bangladesh should claim the money from India as compensation for destroying the environment. Historically, there was water in the Teesta and there is still water and the water will flow in future as well, the experts observed. They also urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to hold a grand rally of 30 lakh people to raise Bangladesh’s voice before the international community for the waters of the Teesta. Bangladesh’s experts and officials have also said the rivers have already dried up and some are just a trickle because of withdrawal of water in the upstream. Besides, some Tk. 200 crore would be required for dredging annually to ensure the flow of the rivers like Dudhkumar and Dharla, which flow down the Himalayas and join the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh. The Dudhkumar is known as the Torsa and the Dharla is known as the Jaldhaka in India. Even though the Indian government is very keen to sign the Teesta agreement, its efforts fell through following the West Bengal chief minister’s stubborn resistance to the deal. According to experts, the proposal given by the West Bengal chief minister appears to be ridiculous. “When we need the Teesta’s waters, she suggested to us to draw water from faraway rivers like the Torsa and the Jaldhaka. A vast area around the Teesta has already turned into
a sandbar,” an official of the Bangladesh Water Develop-ment Board (BWDB) told The Independent on condition of anonymity. How long would it take for New Delhi to sign the Teesta agreement, water experts have asked. They added that the Indian government has kept on saying that it would be done soon. According to the experts, Bangladeshis had expected that this time the ice would have melted in New Delhi and the Teesta agreement would have been signed, but in vain. “We have only got assurances in 2011 and in 2015 by the former and incumbent Indian prime ministers during their visits to Dhaka,” they said.
“Why is there no water in the Teesta? This is because India is diverting water upstream to meet its own purposes, depriving a lower riparian country like Bangladesh in violation of the United Nations convention,” former UN water expert Dr SI Khan told The Independent.
India plans to implement its inter-linking project by digging 30 canals, he said, adding that the Indian government has diverted waters from the Teesta basin to the Ganga.
“It is unacceptable and illegal to divert the water, depriving Bangladesh. Our Prime Minister has tried her best to make her Indian counterpart understand the need for the sharing the Teesta’s waters. We’ll request our Prime Minister to hold a grand rally in Dhaka to raise our voice before the international community,” said SI Khan, who is also the senior vice-president of the International Farakka Committee. Bangladesh should take initiatives to convince the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank not to finance Indian projects that hamper Bangladesh’s environment, he said.
India is deliberately destroying Bangladesh’s environment by withdrawing water unilaterally in the upstream despite assurances from the Indian premier that his country would not undertake any project that harms Bangladesh, the water expert said. “Bangladesh should claim Tk. 13,500 crore as compensation from India annually for destroying the environment in the Teesta areas,” he said. Describing Mamata Banerjee’s proposal as unrealistic, water and river expert Engineer M Enamul Huq, too, said: “There is enough water in the Teesta. She is just sending a wrong message to the people.”

Teesta water-sharing

Experts brush aside Mamata proposal

Experts and officials have rejected the proposal of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee that Bangladesh should look for alternative sources of water other than the Teesta. On Saturday, Banerjee said in New Delhi that the Teesta did not have enough water to meet the needs of Bangladesh and, hence, it should seek water from other rivers like the Torsa and the Jaldhaka in the northern part of West Bengal. Bangladeshs experts have described Banerjees proposal as totally baseless, ill-motivated and unacceptable. The experts have estimated losses of Tk. 13,500 crore annually as a result of withdrawal of water by India, arguing that Bangladesh should claim the money from India as compensation for destroying the environment. Historically, there was water in the Teesta and there is still water and the water will flow in future as well, the experts observed. They also urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to hold a grand rally of 30 lakh people to raise Bangladeshs voice before the international community for the waters of the Teesta. Bangladeshs experts and officials have also said the rivers have already dried up and some are just a trickle because of withdrawal of water in the upstream. Besides, some Tk. 200 crore would be required for dredging annually to ensure the flow of the rivers like Dudhkumar and Dharla, which flow down the Himalayas and join the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh. The Dudhkumar is known as the Torsa and the Dharla is known as the Jaldhaka in India. Even though the Indian government is very keen to sign the Teesta agreement, its efforts fell through following the West Bengal chief ministers stubborn resistance to the deal. According to experts, the proposal given by the West Bengal chief minister appears to be ridiculous. When we need the Teestas waters, she suggested to us to draw water from faraway rivers like the Torsa and the Jaldhaka. A vast area around the Teesta has already turned into a sandbar, an official of the Bangladesh Water Develop-ment Board (BWDB) told The Independent on condition of anonymity. How long would it take for New Delhi to sign the Teesta agreement, water experts have asked. They added that the Indian government has kept on saying that it would be done soon. According to the experts, Bangladeshis had expected that this time the ice would have melted in New Delhi and the Teesta agreement would have been signed, but in vain. We have only got assurances in 2011 and in 2015 by the former and incumbent Indian prime ministers during their visits to Dhaka, they said. Why is there no water in the Teesta? This is because India is diverting water upstream to meet its own purposes, depriving a lower riparian country like Bangladesh in violation of the United Nations convention, former UN water expert Dr SI Khan told The Independent. India plans to implement its inter-linking project by digging 30 canals, he said, adding that the Indian government has diverted waters from the Teesta basin to the Ganga. It is unacceptable and illegal to divert the water, depriving Bangladesh. Our Prime Minister has tried her best to make her Indian counterpart understand the need for the sharing the Teestas waters. Well request our Prime Minister to hold a grand rally in Dhaka to raise our voice before the international community, said SI Khan, who is also the senior vice-president of the International Farakka Committee. Bangladesh should take initiatives to convince the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank not to finance Indian projects that hamper Bangladeshs environment, he said. India is deliberately destroying Bangladeshs environment by withdrawing water unilaterally in the upstream despite assurances from the Indian premier that his country would not undertake any project that harms Bangladesh, the water expert said. Bangladesh should claim Tk. 13,500 crore as compensation from India annually for destroying the environment in the Teesta areas, he said. Describing Mamata Banerjees proposal as unrealistic, water and river expert Engineer M Enamul Huq, too, said: There is enough water in the Teesta. She is just sending a wrong message to the people.