INDO-BANGLA COMMON RIVERS

Dams, canals in India choke Bangladesh

Hundreds of irrigation pumps and scores of barrages or dams along the common rivers in India in violation of the UN convention have resulted in sharp water fall of the rivers in Bangladesh part, experts said. Digging of canals to divert the flows of different common rivers in the upstream is another reason for the declining flows, they added.
The Joint River Commission (JRC), formed to monitor water flows and resolve water related issues of the 54 common rivers between India and Bangladesh, which is supposed to sit at least twice a year, if it is not possible to sit for four times, has not been holding any meeting for the past seven years leaving many issues unresolved.
“The flows of Meghna and Brahmaputra have declined by about 30 per cent in the recent years because of the unilateral withdrawal of waters by India,” former UN water expert Dr SI Khan, also senior vice president of the International Farakkha Committee, told The Independent yesterday.
Bangladesh has long been deprived of waters of common rivers by the upper riparian country, he added.
Dr SI Khan said as per the UN convention, signed by 37 countries, no upper riparian country can do anything that harms a lower riparian country’s ecology and environment.
“There are barrages or dams on almost every river except the Meghna and Brahmaputra in India, either for irrigation or for power generation. Twenty-five rivers flowing into the Meghna and 20 flowing down to the Brahmaputra from Bhutan have barrages. That is why the flows of the Meghna and Brahmaputra have declined by 30 per cent,” Khan said.
Indian people are lifting waters from the common rivers by installing pumps, constructing canals or dams and barrages in violation of the terms agreed by both sides under the Joint River Commission (JRC).
According to JRC sources, India has been withdrawing waters from many rivers, including Feni, Kushiara and Ichhamati, by using hundreds of irrigation pumps, thereby depriving Bangladesh of its due share during the dry season, which begins from January.
No JRC meeting in the past seven years has been facilitating such activities, they added.
The last JRC ministerial-level meeting was held in New Delhi in 2010, leaving many water issues of common rivers unresolved between the two countries.
As a result, many issues like augmentation of the flow in the Ganges and Teesta and sharing of 52 other common rivers have not been resolved yet.
This has been going on despite Bangladesh’s objection that no water can be withdrawn without an agreement at the JRC meeting, sources in the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said.
“Bangladesh has invited India several times for the JRC meeting. But it is yet to respond,” Md. Mofazzal Hossain, member (current charge) of the JRC told this correspondent.
The existing water-related issues could be resolved through the JRC meeting, he said in reply to a query.
According to the BWDB sources, the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has prevented them from constructing embankments in border areas to protect riverbanks from erosion.
The sources said it has become difficult to protect the riverbanks from erosion along the border in Rajshahi, Chapainwabganj, Rangpur, Kurigram and Sylhet districts. This can only be resolved at a JRC meeting.
The rivers constituting the border line have often diverted their course due to erosion inside Bangladesh territory, creating problems for the people living along the frontiers.
Under the Mujib-Indira treaty signed in 1974, the mid-stream of the river constitutes the border between the two countries. However, the rivers sometimes shifted their courses 3-4 km inside Bangladesh territory, making it impossible for Bangladeshi farmers to cultivate their lands that have come under the Indian side following the erosion, BWDB sources said.
On the other hand, there has been heavy withdrawal of water in the upstream as India has built at least 13 canals and several dams for generating hydro-electricity. This has resulted in very poor flow of the Teesta, which originates from Sikkim high above the mountains, sources said.
India is also withdrawing water at different points from the Feni for purposes of irrigation during the dry season without any agreement, the BWDB sources said, adding that all these issues have been notified to India for resolution at the JRC meeting. Also, a number of disputes, including sharing waters of common rivers, is pending, as the JRC ministerial-level meeting has not been held for a long time.
Of the 54 common rivers, India has signed only one treaty for the water of the Ganges in 1996. The disputes over the sharing of the waters of the Teesta, Dharala, Dudhkumar, Monu, Khowai, Gomti and Muhuri have not been resolved yet.

INDO-BANGLA COMMON RIVERS

Dams, canals in India choke Bangladesh

Hundreds of irrigation pumps and scores of barrages or dams along the common rivers in India in violation of the UN convention have resulted in sharp water fall of the rivers in Bangladesh part, experts said. Digging of canals to divert the flows of different common rivers in the upstream is another reason for the declining flows, they added. The Joint River Commission (JRC), formed to monitor water flows and resolve water related issues of the 54 common rivers between India and Bangladesh, which is supposed to sit at least twice a year, if it is not possible to sit for four times, has not been holding any meeting for the past seven years leaving many issues unresolved. The flows of Meghna and Brahmaputra have declined by about 30 per cent in the recent years because of the unilateral withdrawal of waters by India, former UN water expert Dr SI Khan, also senior vice president of the International Farakkha Committee, told The Independent yesterday. Bangladesh has long been deprived of waters of common rivers by the upper riparian country, he added. Dr SI Khan said as per the UN convention, signed by 37 countries, no upper riparian country can do anything that harms a lower riparian countrys ecology and environment. There are barrages or dams on almost every river except the Meghna and Brahmaputra in India, either for irrigation or for power generation. Twenty-five rivers flowing into the Meghna and 20 flowing down to the Brahmaputra from Bhutan have barrages. That is why the flows of the Meghna and Brahmaputra have declined by 30 per cent, Khan said. Indian people are lifting waters from the common rivers by installing pumps, constructing canals or dams and barrages in violation of the terms agreed by both sides under the Joint River Commission (JRC). According to JRC sources, India has been withdrawing waters from many rivers, including Feni, Kushiara and Ichhamati, by using hundreds of irrigation pumps, thereby depriving Bangladesh of its due share during the dry season, which begins from January. No JRC meeting in the past seven years has been facilitating such activities, they added. The last JRC ministerial-level meeting was held in New Delhi in 2010, leaving many water issues of common rivers unresolved between the two countries. As a result, many issues like augmentation of the flow in the Ganges and Teesta and sharing of 52 other common rivers have not been resolved yet. This has been going on despite Bangladeshs objection that no water can be withdrawn without an agreement at the JRC meeting, sources in the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said. Bangladesh has invited India several times for the JRC meeting. But it is yet to respond, Md. Mofazzal Hossain, member (current charge) of the JRC told this correspondent. The existing water-related issues could be resolved through the JRC meeting, he said in reply to a query. According to the BWDB sources, the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has prevented them from constructing embankments in border areas to protect riverbanks from erosion. The sources said it has become difficult to protect the riverbanks from erosion along the border in Rajshahi, Chapainwabganj, Rangpur, Kurigram and Sylhet districts. This can only be resolved at a JRC meeting. The rivers constituting the border line have often diverted their course due to erosion inside Bangladesh territory, creating problems for the people living along the frontiers. Under the Mujib-Indira treaty signed in 1974, the mid-stream of the river constitutes the border between the two countries. However, the rivers sometimes shifted their courses 3-4 km inside Bangladesh territory, making it impossible for Bangladeshi farmers to cultivate their lands that have come under the Indian side following the erosion, BWDB sources said. On the other hand, there has been heavy withdrawal of water in the upstream as India has built at least 13 canals and several dams for generating hydro-electricity. This has resulted in very poor flow of the Teesta, which originates from Sikkim high above the mountains, sources said. India is also withdrawing water at different points from the Feni for purposes of irrigation during the dry season without any agreement, the BWDB sources said, adding that all these issues have been notified to India for resolution at the JRC meeting. Also, a number of disputes, including sharing waters of common rivers, is pending, as the JRC ministerial-level meeting has not been held for a long time. Of the 54 common rivers, India has signed only one treaty for the water of the Ganges in 1996. The disputes over the sharing of the waters of the Teesta, Dharala, Dudhkumar, Monu, Khowai, Gomti and Muhuri have not been resolved yet.