India must consult with co-riparian for project on shared rivers: Meeting
Dhaka, May 18 (UNB) – Boston-based Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia has observed that India must consult with co-riparian countries for any project on shared rivers.
The Alliance, formed in 1993, came up with the remarks at a meeting held recently at MIT, Cambridge, USA to discuss India’s recently revived River Linking Project, according to a message received here.
Some presentations made at the meeting include “Overview of the River Linking Project” by Umang Kumar; “Secrecy in Farakka and other large water projects” by Nurul Kabir; “The Ecology of Rivers” by Paul Malachi Penchalapadu; “Lessons of the Aral Sea” by Tamzid Chowdhury; and “Alternatives to Big Dams” by Abha Sur.
The presenters made the points that the large scale transfer of water, as in India’s River Linking Project, harms the ecology of the source as well as the destination.
It cited examples that include the Farakka barrage, now the cause of water logging, floods and large scale displacement of people in West Bengal and desertification in Bangladesh, and the diversion of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers that led to the death of the Aral Sea.
Thus the India’s River Linking Project (IRLP) is likely to cause great and irreversible damages to the rivers of the region, and threaten the livelihood of millions in South Asia, particularly in India and Bangladesh, the presenters observed.
The meeting concluded that India must consult co-riparian countries for any project on shared rivers. Details of the project plans must be brought before the public so that independent review and discussion is possible. And too that end individuals and groups must raise their voices.
A resolution was taken to form a working group in Boston to make the dangers of the River Linking Project more widely known among the Bangladeshi community and international friends.
The audience was further encouraged to attend a rally against IRLP in New York on May 25 to be organized by Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN).
The Alliance, formed in 1993, came up with the remarks at a meeting held recently at MIT, Cambridge, USA to discuss India’s recently revived River Linking Project, according to a message received here.
Some presentations made at the meeting include “Overview of the River Linking Project” by Umang Kumar; “Secrecy in Farakka and other large water projects” by Nurul Kabir; “The Ecology of Rivers” by Paul Malachi Penchalapadu; “Lessons of the Aral Sea” by Tamzid Chowdhury; and “Alternatives to Big Dams” by Abha Sur.
The presenters made the points that the large scale transfer of water, as in India’s River Linking Project, harms the ecology of the source as well as the destination.
It cited examples that include the Farakka barrage, now the cause of water logging, floods and large scale displacement of people in West Bengal and desertification in Bangladesh, and the diversion of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers that led to the death of the Aral Sea.
Thus the India’s River Linking Project (IRLP) is likely to cause great and irreversible damages to the rivers of the region, and threaten the livelihood of millions in South Asia, particularly in India and Bangladesh, the presenters observed.
The meeting concluded that India must consult co-riparian countries for any project on shared rivers. Details of the project plans must be brought before the public so that independent review and discussion is possible. And too that end individuals and groups must raise their voices.
A resolution was taken to form a working group in Boston to make the dangers of the River Linking Project more widely known among the Bangladeshi community and international friends.
The audience was further encouraged to attend a rally against IRLP in New York on May 25 to be organized by Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN).
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