[Assam] [WaterWatch] 3000 MW Dibang Hydro Projects: Bangladesh Perspectives

Mon Aug 25 18:22:41 PDT 2008

Bangladesh -- where maximum people will suffer if Brahmaputra(LUIT/JAMUNA) is Throttled and/or polluted  somewhere upstream--   should have maximum say in decisions to do either.
The long stretch of Tsang-Po running East West  in Tibet till  the  'Big Bend'  brings in just   a trickle of melting snow in Summer  and contributes nothing in Winter tothe  flowrate in LUIT/JAMUNA.  China is  welcome to take it away where they want to .

       Dibang Valley,  receiving a whacking  bit of  South-Western  Monsoon does contribute around 25% to Monsoon flowin LUIT/JAMUNA down to sea.

Ganga Treaty is only a scrap of paper. Natural justice will finally Prevail.
mm

To: WaterWatch at yahoogroups.comFrom: tiwarivinodk at yahoo.comDate: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:10:51 -0700Subject: Re: [WaterWatch] 3000 MW Dibang Hydro Projects: Bangladesh Perspectives

I believe that Mr. Mohamed Khalequzzaman's argument are as much applicable to China as they are to India since Tsang po (Brahmputra) flows for longer distance in China than in India and/or Bangladesh. The discussions must also focus on the Chinese role with or without a bilateral treaty. 
As far as I know, Brahmaputra is not a part of the Ganges River System and probably not included in the treaty referred by Mr.Mohamed. 

Regards,

Vinod Tiwari,
Shimla--- On Fri, 22/8/08, Khalequzzaman, Mohamed <mkhalequ at lhup.edu> wrote:
From: Khalequzzaman, Mohamed <mkhalequ at lhup.edu>Subject: [WaterWatch] 3000 MW Dibang Hydro Projects: Bangladesh PerspectivesTo: WaterWatch at yahoogroups.comDate: Friday, 22 August, 2008, 1:50 AM

Dibang Valley is a part of the Brahmaputra (Jamuna in Bangladesh) watershed or basin.  Any land-use activity (deforestation, agriculture, damming of rivers, urbanization as the likes) has the potential to impact the flow and the environment downstream, which includes a major part of Bangladesh .  I have been following the discussion on “3000 MW Dibang Hydro Project Cancelled – why?” with interest.  There are many arguments in favor of and against such dams.  One piece of vital information that was missing from all these arguments is the impact that such hydro project will have on the flow of rivers, influx of sediment, floodplain and delta plain accretion, agriculture, navigation, industry, and ecosystems in downstream areas of Bangladesh .  Some may argue that Dibang Valley belongs to India and what Indian authority does with the waters in her territory is India ’s internal business (in these days of age, I am hoping that wouldn’t be the case).  Watershed or basin-scale planning & management of water resources is the logical building block of sustainable development.  Therefore, watershed management must incorporate the interests of all stakeholders (from mouth of a river to the bay) and needs to take into account the flora, fauna, and the ecosystems that exist within its boundary. The Brahmaputra watershed encompasses 580,000 sq. km in Bhutan , India , and Bangladesh , where some 110 million live. Many unique ecosystems, including the Sundanbans – the World Heritage site, depend on the quality and quantity of water that flow in the basin.  

Hydro projects, when and if done as per the specification of the World Commission on Dams (WCM), can help the economy in a region.  However, as has been pointed out by many in this forum (for example, Himanshu Thakkar, R. Iyer, Sudhir Vombatkere, S. Lahiri, Mahanta, S. Sinha, and others), there is no record of satisfactory rehabilitation and re-settlement of the people who took the brunt of past dam building projects in India.  In India , water-resources management and planning for dams and other water-regulating structures are not prepared within the context of river basin-scale implications and outcomes.  In addition, the interests of all stakeholders (especially those of Bangladesh ) are not kept in mind when this Dibang project is being planned, and discussed. The ecological needs and economic future of Bangladesh are not a part of the planning design.  The large dams in NE India will cause significant harm to agriculture, tea gardens, navigation, fisheries, fertilizer & power industries, and ecosystems including the Sundabans and wetlands. Dibang  project and other proposed hydro project and dams in India will impact natural geological processes, including floodplain growth, flooding conditions, and salinity ingress in Meghna River in Bangladesh . 

In addition, India did not consult with Bangladesh as required by international conventions (UN Convention of 1997) and regional treaties (The Ganges Treaty of 1996).  

As per the Article 5 of the UN Convention of 1997, watercourse states (in this case, India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh) shall participate in the use, development and protection of an international watercourse in an equitable and reasonable manner. Such participation includes both the right to utilize the watercourse and the duty to cooperate in the protection and development thereof, as provided in the present Convention. In should be noted here that although India is not a signatory to this convention, the resolutions of the convention are used world-wide as a guide for water-resources management.  Moreover, as per the Article IX of the Ganges Water Treaty of 1996 between Bangladesh and India states that guided by the principles of equity, fairness and no harm to either party, both the Governments agree to conclude water sharing Treaties/Agreements with regard to other common rivers (in this case the Brahmaputra) . 

Considering how crucial of a role water plays in bi-lateral relationships between India and Bangladesh , sooner we realize the need for integrated water resources management of international rivers better it is for both of these friendly neighbors and the ecosystems in the basin. 

Md. Khalequzzaman, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorDept. of Geology & PhysicsLock Haven UniversityLock Haven, PA 17745Tel: (570) 484-2075http://www.lhup. edu/mkhalequ

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