The Indian government is also likely to respond positively to the persuasion of a friendly government in Bangladesh than any government it perceives as hostile to India. Thus, this friendship factor will have to be utilised to the full by Bangladesh to put a brake on the river-linking project

River-link move worries Bangladesh

On July 13, 2015, the Indian government announced that it would soon take up the task of connecting Teesta-Ganga-Manas-Sankosh rivers covering three Indian states -- Assam, West Bengal and Bihar -- and will approach the three states for their consent. This signals a move forward with its grand plan of connecting rivers across the country.
The river linking project is not a recent phenomenon. It was conceived decades ago but could not be materialized from opposition from certain Indian state governments which considered that its implementation could cause serious adverse environmental consequences in their states. But oddly enough, the greatest opposition to it should have come from Bangladesh which would be the most affected from large scale inter basin transfer of waters of major rivers in India as per this mega plan.
Nonetheless, the plan was put on hold by the activities of environmental lobbies in India. Besides, the implementation of the plan called for huge funding and it was doubted
whether the World Bank (WB) and other international donors would come forward to extend adequate funds to it on
environmental grounds.
 As India was hardly resourceful enough to take up the plan on its own at that time, it could not progress understandably. India’s foreign currency reserve has swelled in recent
years that should make it possible for it to consider at least part of implementing the plan with its own money. Besides, under the changed context WB and other donors may also feel more amenable in relaxing their tights fists in respect of aiding this project.
Thus, Bangladesh has all the reasons to be extremely concerned about this Indian project in the changed context. Unless it is stopped in its tracks by building up enough resistance to it in time, the river-linking project could turn out to be a fait accompli like the Farraka Barrage threatening Bangladesh with devastating waterlessness.
 As it appears from a section of Indian mainstream media reports, the Water Resources Minister of India said his ministry would be soon taking up the planning of a very important link, Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga rivers, in consultation with the governments of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indian Water Resources Minister was quoted by an official statement as saying "This link project won't only provide large irrigation and water supply benefits to Assam, West Bengal and Bihar, but will also make available large quantum of water for transfer subsequently to southern states."   
Earlier, India repeatedly assured Bangladesh of not taking up any river-linking project that would be harmful to Bangladesh, without consultations with the Bangladesh government. But, Water Resources Minister of Bangladesh said the Indian government is yet to talk to the Bangladesh government before taking up the mega plan of linking rivers across India. As per the agreements signed between Bangladesh and India, he said, India cannot go ahead with such a move which is detrimental to Bangladesh's interests.
 Worried by the latest move to interlink rivers, the Bangladesh government is reportedly getting ready to send a letter to the Water Resources Ministry of India seeking an explanation in this regard. On behalf of the Bangladesh government the Water Resources Minister stated on Tuesday 21 July 2015 that, "…we cannot send any protest letter only seeing newspaper reports. We're sending a note verbal to India seeking explanation about the objectivity of the news reports published recently in the Indian media". The Minister said the Water Resources Ministry has prepared the letter and already sent it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to forward it to authorities in India.
 Voicing deep concern over the reported move of river linking, BNP on 22 July 2015 urged the government to engage the Indian government on emergency basis over the issue. Addressing a press briefing at BNP's central party office, a BNP party spokesman said their party will extend all-out cooperation to the government in resolving all the national issues, including the water one. Referring to Indian media reports, he said it is a matter of deep concern for Bangladesh though it is an internal matter of India.
The BNP leader said "We've extended to the government all out support over the water issue. BNP will always remain ready to cooperate with the government if it takes any initiative over national or water issues". The people of the country are united over the water issue, he said adding that there are no differences of opinion among BNP, Awami League, Jamaat, Jatiya Party and Communist Party over the water issue. He (BNP's one of the international affairs secretaries), urged the government to be more assertive to realise fair share of waters from common rivers with neighbouring India.
Mentioning that if the Indian project is implemented, it will have very adverse effects on Bangladesh's environment and ecology, the BNP leader said India cannot unilaterally withdraw waters from the 54 common rivers in the name of inter river-linking project. He warned the government that many parts of Bangladesh will turn into desert if India implements the project. He suggested the government should involve the Foreign Ministry with the Water Resources Ministry to take effective steps against the river-linking project. The BNP leader also called upon the government to mount pressure on the Indian government through diplomatic channels to stop the project. He also suggested that the Foreign Ministry should summon the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka to know about the Indian inter-river-linking move.
The Bangladesh Water Resources Minister on 23 July 2015 said the government will not accept any project by neighbouring India that may be harmful to Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Water Resources Minister told reporters on sidelines of a workshop in Dhaka that "According to media reports, India has taken a move to interlink its rivers, but, I think, as per the agreements and joint communiqué signed between the two countries, India can't go ahead with such a move which is detrimental to Bangladesh."
Bangladesh will not compromise with India over any project which may adversely affect the country, he said, referring to Bangladesh's resort to international arbitration to resolve sea boundary dispute with India. He said the Water Resources Ministry has prepared a letter and sent it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to forward it to the authorities concerned of India, seeking official explanation of its latest move to interlink rivers.
Indeed, Bangladesh has to tread the path very carefully in facing up to the challenge of the river-linking project that has resurfaced with greater strength compared to the past. But the challenge is not entirely without opportunities. Bangladesh government’s essential strategy in relation to this project should be based on its present exceptionally good friendship and solidarity that it enjoys with India.
As a result of this friendship, it may be expected that it has greater and better access to the Indian government than the past ones. Thus, if our policy makers take up the issue of river linking with the Indian government forcefully but also cordially, it can except a more sincere and patient hearing from the latter. The Indian government is also likely to respond positively to the persuasion of a friendly government in Bangladesh than any government it perceives as hostile to India. Thus, this friendship factor will have to be utilized to the full by Bangladesh to put a brake on the project.
Furthermore, our policy planners ought to forge an alliance with the lobbies in India that had opposed the project in the past and are also doing so now and should seek to bring their combined pressure to bear on the Indian government. Besides, our government should start to build up resolve that it would go for externalization of the issue, if need be, to persuade India to drop this project. Of course this exercise must be carried out delicately without offending India .
 
The writer is a retired Professor of Economics,
BCS General Education Cadre

 

The Indian government is also likely to respond positively to the persuasion of a friendly government in Bangladesh than any government it perceives as hostile to India. Thus, this friendship factor will have to be utilised to the full by Bangladesh to put a brake on the river-linking project

River-link move worries Bangladesh

On July 13, 2015, the Indian government announced that it would soon take up the task of connecting Teesta-Ganga-Manas-Sankosh rivers covering three Indian states -- Assam, West Bengal and Bihar -- and will approach the three states for their consent. This signals a move forward with its grand plan of connecting rivers across the country. The river linking project is not a recent phenomenon. It was conceived decades ago but could not be materialized from opposition from certain Indian state governments which considered that its implementation could cause serious adverse environmental consequences in their states. But oddly enough, the greatest opposition to it should have come from Bangladesh which would be the most affected from large scale inter basin transfer of waters of major rivers in India as per this mega plan. Nonetheless, the plan was put on hold by the activities of environmental lobbies in India. Besides, the implementation of the plan called for huge funding and it was doubted whether the World Bank (WB) and other international donors would come forward to extend adequate funds to it on environmental grounds. As India was hardly resourceful enough to take up the plan on its own at that time, it could not progress understandably. Indias foreign currency reserve has swelled in recent years that should make it possible for it to consider at least part of implementing the plan with its own money. Besides, under the changed context WB and other donors may also feel more amenable in relaxing their tights fists in respect of aiding this project. Thus, Bangladesh has all the reasons to be extremely concerned about this Indian project in the changed context. Unless it is stopped in its tracks by building up enough resistance to it in time, the river-linking project could turn out to be a fait accompli like the Farraka Barrage threatening Bangladesh with devastating waterlessness. As it appears from a section of Indian mainstream media reports, the Water Resources Minister of India said his ministry would be soon taking up the planning of a very important link, Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga rivers, in consultation with the governments of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indian Water Resources Minister was quoted by an official statement as saying This link project wont only provide large irrigation and water supply benefits to Assam, West Bengal and Bihar, but will also make available large quantum of water for transfer subsequently to southern states. Earlier, India repeatedly assured Bangladesh of not taking up any river-linking project that would be harmful to Bangladesh, without consultations with the Bangladesh government. But, Water Resources Minister of Bangladesh said the Indian government is yet to talk to the Bangladesh government before taking up the mega plan of linking rivers across India. As per the agreements signed between Bangladesh and India, he said, India cannot go ahead with such a move which is detrimental to Bangladeshs interests. Worried by the latest move to interlink rivers, the Bangladesh government is reportedly getting ready to send a letter to the Water Resources Ministry of India seeking an explanation in this regard. On behalf of the Bangladesh government the Water Resources Minister stated on Tuesday 21 July 2015 that, we cannot send any protest letter only seeing newspaper reports. Were sending a note verbal to India seeking explanation about the objectivity of the news reports published recently in the Indian media. The Minister said the Water Resources Ministry has prepared the letter and already sent it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to forward it to authorities in India. Voicing deep concern over the reported move of river linking, BNP on 22 July 2015 urged the government to engage the Indian government on emergency basis over the issue. Addressing a press briefing at BNPs central party office, a BNP party spokesman said their party will extend all-out cooperation to the government in resolving all the national issues, including the water one. Referring to Indian media reports, he said it is a matter of deep concern for Bangladesh though it is an internal matter of India. The BNP leader said Weve extended to the government all out support over the water issue. BNP will always remain ready to cooperate with the government if it takes any initiative over national or water issues. The people of the country are united over the water issue, he said adding that there are no differences of opinion among BNP, Awami League, Jamaat, Jatiya Party and Communist Party over the water issue. He (BNPs one of the international affairs secretaries), urged the government to be more assertive to realise fair share of waters from common rivers with neighbouring India. Mentioning that if the Indian project is implemented, it will have very adverse effects on Bangladeshs environment and ecology, the BNP leader said India cannot unilaterally withdraw waters from the 54 common rivers in the name of inter river-linking project. He warned the government that many parts of Bangladesh will turn into desert if India implements the project. He suggested the government should involve the Foreign Ministry with the Water Resources Ministry to take effective steps against the river-linking project. The BNP leader also called upon the government to mount pressure on the Indian government through diplomatic channels to stop the project. He also suggested that the Foreign Ministry should summon the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka to know about the Indian inter-river-linking move. The Bangladesh Water Resources Minister on 23 July 2015 said the government will not accept any project by neighbouring India that may be harmful to Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Water Resources Minister told reporters on sidelines of a workshop in Dhaka that According to media reports, India has taken a move to interlink its rivers, but, I think, as per the agreements and joint communiqu signed between the two countries, India cant go ahead with such a move which is detrimental to Bangladesh. Bangladesh will not compromise with India over any project which may adversely affect the country, he said, referring to Bangladeshs resort to international arbitration to resolve sea boundary dispute with India. He said the Water Resources Ministry has prepared a letter and sent it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to forward it to the authorities concerned of India, seeking official explanation of its latest move to interlink rivers. Indeed, Bangladesh has to tread the path very carefully in facing up to the challenge of the river-linking project that has resurfaced with greater strength compared to the past. But the challenge is not entirely without opportunities. Bangladesh governments essential strategy in relation to this project should be based on its present exceptionally good friendship and solidarity that it enjoys with India. As a result of this friendship, it may be expected that it has greater and better access to the Indian government than the past ones. Thus, if our policy makers take up the issue of river linking with the Indian government forcefully but also cordially, it can except a more sincere and patient hearing from the latter. The Indian government is also likely to respond positively to the persuasion of a friendly government in Bangladesh than any government it perceives as hostile to India. Thus, this friendship factor will have to be utilized to the full by Bangladesh to put a brake on the project. Furthermore, our policy planners ought to forge an alliance with the lobbies in India that had opposed the project in the past and are also doing so now and should seek to bring their combined pressure to bear on the Indian government. Besides, our government should start to build up resolve that it would go for externalization of the issue, if need be, to persuade India to drop this project. Of course this exercise must be carried out delicately without offending India . The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS General Education Cadre