Term-paper ON Tipaimukh Dam Issue in IndiaBangladesh Relations

Submitted to:
Prof. Akmal Hossain Course No: IR-303 Course Title: Bangladesh in Global Affairs

Submitted By:
Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun Roll-BB-202, 3rd year 5th Semester Dept. of International Relations University of Dhaka Salmin Jahan Mymuny Roll-SN-211, 3rd year 5th Semester Dept. of International Relations University of Dhaka

Submission Date:
Introduction:

23 July, 2011

Water covers more than 70% of the earth. It fills the oceans and rivers; it resides underground and it is also present in the air which we breathe. Great civilizations have risen where water was plentiful and have fallen when the supply of water failed. Today more than ever water is slave and master of the peoples. Water is used in almost every activity in the life of civilized man and it has to be remembered that the demand of using water is increasing day by day but it is really not possible to increase the supply because of limitation. India is a federal democratic country and because rivers cross state boundaries, constructing efficient and equitable mechanisms for allocating river flows has long been an important legal and constitutional issue. Because of shared history and geographical inseparability, Bangladeshis very often perceive India as an individual rather than as a mighty state. To some Bangladeshis, India is a comrade in the liberation war and a kindred spirit who is not likely to do any wrong to Bangladesh. Others view her as a spiteful neighbor who is continuously hatching conspiracies to strangulate her. There are always acrimonious debates in Bangladesh on anything concerning India. The controversy on the proposed Tipaimukh dam on a common river has, therefore generated more heat than light. The basic principles of inter-country relations as enunciated by Lord Palmerston in 1848 are equally relevant to the relations of these two South Asian neighbors today. There are three impediments to such an analysis in Bangladesh. First, because of emotional hysteria such discussions do not remain confined to the issue but tend to degenerate into a harangue on the entire gamut of IndoBangladesh relations. Secondly, there is a serious dearth of data which is primarily based on data used in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report submitted by the implementing agency of Tipaimukh dam and Environmental Clearance issued by the Department of Environment, Government of India. These documents were published in the website of the implementing agency, where necessary, secondary reports and publications were also used. However, a definitive analysis should be based on detailed investigations using primary data collected by Government agencies in India and Bangladesh. Thirdly, there is wide divergence on the legal rights and duties of upper and lower riparian countries. Helsinki Rules emphasize equitable sharing of water between upper and lower riparian for beneficial purposes, The UN Convention of 1997 On Water Use underlines equity and reasonableness. These principles are not, however, judicially enforceable. In all water disputes, the parties concerned always claim that their action is vindicated by international law.

Tipaimukh Dam: An Outline:

The under construction Tipaimukh dam - a 390 meter long, 162.5 meter high earthen core rock filled dam on the international river Barak at downstream of the confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers near Tipaimukh village in Manipur state of India and close to Bangladesh border is supposed to produce an estimated 1,500 MW electric power. The dam will permanently submerge an area of

275.50 sq. km. in the state of Manipur. A large number of people, mostly belonging to indigenous Zeliangrong and Hmar communities, will be displaced permanently. Indigenous communities, civil society groups and NGOs in northeast India have been campaigning years on possible adverse environmental effect, displacement, and inadequate public consultations in the construction of the dam. Recently the Government of Bangladesh has also protested the construction of Tipaimukh dam and claimed that it will have adverse environmental impact on downstream Bangladesh. Civil society groups and NGOs in Bangladesh have also been campaigning against the downstream impact of Tipaimukh dam. It raises a number of questions in relation to World Commission on Dams (WCD) recommendations. The WCD recommendation on Gaining Public Acceptance for large dams proposes procedural mechanism(s) to address grievances within a national system. But what if a dam poses serious risks to people and communities living downstream in another country? This paper seeks to investigate the WCD recommendation on Gaining Public Acceptance for large dam from the perspective of downstream Bangladesh. The feasibility of a dam at Tipaimukh was first mooted in 1929 when Cachar valley was devastated by a flood. It was proposed at that time that water flow downstream could be regulated by the construction of a reservoir at Tipaimukh. In 1954, the Central Water Commission in India undertook a feasibility study of a multi-purpose project at this site. Tipaimukh was selected as the site for a dam in 1974. It was also identified by India as a probable site for a reservoir for augmenting the water flow in the Ganges through the link canal between Ganges and Brahmaputra in the proposal submitted by India to Joint Rivers Commission in 1982. The Brahmaputra Board that was established by the Government of India in 1980 undertook detailed investigations of this project. A decision to set up a hydroelectric project at Tipaimukh was taken in October 1999 and the responsibility of its implementation was entrusted to North Eastern Electric Power Company (NEEPCO), an application was filed by NEEPCO to Environment Department, Govt. of India in 2006 for environment clearance certificate. In these documents, the project was described as follows: The project envisages construction of a 162.8 meter high rock-fill dam, which will intersect a catchments area of 12,756 sq. km. The maximum generation capacity of this project is 1500 MW. The expected benefit of flood mitigation measures provided by this project is estimated at Rs 457 million. The regulation of water by the dam is estimated to provide annual benefit to the tune of Rs 2310 million, in the form of additional agricultural output. Piscine-culture in the dam area will yield benefit of Rs. 140 million. The project is expected to benefit navigation and to create recreation facilities for tourism. These benefits are not unmixed blessings. They also entail economic and social costs. The Project will inundate an area of 296.5 sq. km. The main features of the dam are as follows. It is a flood control-cum-hydroelectric project. This project does not include any component for withdrawal of water for irrigation. Ironically, the possibility of withdrawal of water for irrigation in this project is the most sensitive issue in Bangladesh. The issue of Tipaimukh dam was raised on several occasions in the Joint Rivers Commission by Bangladesh. In 1978, a decision was taken to undertake a joint study on Tipaimukh dam by Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission. This decision remained unimplemented. Subsequently, Bangladesh side in 35th and 36th meetings of the Joint Rivers Commission enquired about Tipaimukh and the Indian side responded that she had no plan for withdrawal of water and as such Bangladesh does not require any data on Tipaimukh. However, these assurances of Indian side could not remove the doubts from the minds of many Bangladeshis who maintain that India is not telling the whole truth. There are several reasons for such lingering suspicions. First, previously India had declared its intention to construct a water reservoir at Funeral, downstream of Tipaimukh hydroelectric project. India is now silent on the

feasibility of Funeral project. It is not known whether the idea of this project has been abandoned and the reason for Indian decision in this case remains a mystery to Bangladesh. Some people are apprehensive that Funeral barrage will follow Tipaimukh dam. Secondly, India indicated in 1982 its plan to withdraw water from a proposed reservoir at Tipaimukh to augment the flow of Ganges through the link canal. Many Bangladeshis, therefore, view Tipaimukh dam as a first step in the implementation of a so-called national water grid based on interlinking of rivers. Such forebodings about Tipaimukh seem to be misleading for two reasons. First, no project for an irrigation barrage has been approved as yet. There is, therefore, no immediate prospect of implementation of such a project. Secondly, from the economic point of view, an irrigation project at Tipaimukh does not appear to be viable. In recent years, there has been increased emphasis on minor irrigation in Cachar valley. On 11th august, 2009, the Irrigation Minister of Assam revealed that in the downstream region of proposed Tipaimukh dam, 80 small irrigation projects at a cost of Rs. 2160 million have already been undertaken. Furthermore, shallow tube wells are already popular in Assam. From the economic point of view, an expensive barrage at Funeral is not likely to be attractive, compared to less capital -intensive small irrigation projects and shallow tube wells in this area. These tube wells could be easily operated with the electricity generated by Tipaimukh dam at a very low cost. The second characteristic of Tipaimukh dam is that by international standard it is a major dam. Dams exceeding 15 to 20 meters in height are categorized as large; dams with height ranging from 150 to 250 meter are classified as major dams. Tipaimukh will be the seventh tallest dam in India. A comparison with some of the well-known dams in the region would be helpful for appreciation of its features. The only hydroelectric generating station in Bangladesh is the Kaptai dam. The maximum capacity of Kaptai hydroelectric project in Bangladesh is 230 MW, whereas the maximum capacity of Tipaimukh is 1500 MW. In terms of hydroelectricity generation capacity, Tipaimukh is 6.5 times larger than Kaptai. The height of Kaptai dam is 45.7 meters while Tipaimukh dam will be 162.8-meter tall in height; Tipaimukh is about 3.5 times higher than Kaptai. The length of Tipaimukh is 390 meters. The ratio of height to width in Tipaimukh is 1: 2.39; the corresponding ratio in Kaptai is 1:44.66. Kaptai dam has inundated 777sq.km whereas the size of the reservoir in Tipaimukh is projected at 296.5 sq. km. Compared to Kaptai dam, Tipaimukh dam will create a much deeper reservoir in a narrow gorge with much more water to generate 6.5 times more electricity. Such dams are likely to be highly hazardous. A comparison of Tipaimukh dam with Tarbela and Mangla dams in Pakistan warrants similar conclusions. Tarbela dam is 138 meters high; Mangla dam, 143.26 meters - both shorter than Tipaimukh (162.8 meters). Both these dams are much less steep than proposed Tipaimukh dam. The ratio of height to width in Tarbela is 1:19.7; the corresponding ratios in Mangla and Tipaimukh are 1:22.73 and 1:2.39. Compared to similar dams in neighboring countries, Tipaimukh will be a highly risky dam in a sensitive area. The failure of such dams might have devastating consequences downstream. The project is officially described as a multipurpose project with two objectives: flood mitigation and generation of hydroelectricity. However, the economic returns of hydroelectricity will far exceed the benefits of flood mitigation, Furthermore; the command area of flood mitigation project is limited. The project is expected to benefit only 2039 sq. km out of total area of 7922 sq. km. in the districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi in the Barak valley. Tipaimukh dam is primarily a hydroelectricity project; flood mitigation is an incidental component. The expected benefit of flood mitigation (annual benefit of Rs.2761 million) is not sufficient to justify such a mega project. The estimated cost of the project is Rs, 69,790 million - equivalent to US $1423 million. The project is

expected to be completed in seven years. The foundation stone of the project was laid in December 2006.

The Stakes of the Indian Government and of the Affected Persons:

Theoretically, the interests of the Government and people are indistinguishable in a democratic policy. In real life, most democratic governments tend to be the rule of the brute majority. The genuine interests of minority groups are often ignored in such systems. In this section, the interests of the majority backed central government and the marginal groups harmed by the project are, therefore, discussed separately. To the Government of India, Tipaimukh is an important hydroelectric project. There are also incidental benefits of flood mitigation. The increase in generation of hydroelectricity is an urgent national priority for India. In 2004, per capita electricity consumption in India was 457kwh whereas the corresponding figure for China was 1585kwh. Per capita consumption of electricity in China is 3.5 times higher than that of India, who needs dramatic increase in electricity generation to catch up with the emerging economies like China. Despite the current low level of electricity consumption, India has at the moment a deficit of 9.6% in electricity generation. A project like Tipaimukh dam is a great boon for Indian planners. First, the investment cost of Tipaimukh dam is much lower than alternative options. Per MW investment cost in Tipaimukh is Rs. 456 million while the similar cost for a 1000 MW thermal power plant in Tamil Nadu is Rs. 600 million. There is no fuel cost in a hydroelectricity project and the O & M costs are minimal. According to Bhowmik, the annual cost of the 10 MW Gumoti hydroelectricity project is Rs. 30 million while its annual income stands at Rs. 210 million. Even if two thirds of the maximum capacity of Tipaimukh is attained, the annual net return of this project is likely to be Rs. 18,000 million. Furthermore, lion's share of electricity in India is generated by coal. Hydroelectricity is clean compared to coal-fired electricity that pollutes the environment. The attractions of a hydroelectric project are, therefore, irresistible. On the face of it, Tipaimukh is a blessing for the majority of Indian voters. However, it is a curse for the aboriginal tribes inhabiting the proposed dam region. There is strong opposition to this project in Manipur. The apprehensions about the harms of the project rest on four grounds. First, the project is not safe. It is a threat to the traditional way of life for the aboriginal tribes living in this area. Similar dams in Northeastern India have turned out to be catastrophic failures in the past. Finally, the project might trigger an environmental disaster. From the geological point of view, Tipaimukh is located in an ecologically sensitive area. The sponsors of the project also acknowledge this. The subsidence resulting from the collision of tectonic plates was described in the EIA in the following manner: "Subduction process between

Indian Plate and Shan-Teanasserim Block along Indo-Burma mobile Belt has made this area tectonically very active. The probability of earthquake in this geological environment is very high. According to EIA, there were 16 earthquakes measuring more than 7 in Richter scale; two of which exceeded more than 8.5 in Richter scale and are included in the list of largest earthquakes. The EIA of the project concluded, Overall, the seismicity level in the east of the project area is considered to be very high. The PMA (Peak Mean Acceleration) estimate for Tipaimukh suggests that the severity of earthquake in this region is likely to be much higher than at Tehri, the most controversial dam in India in recent times. The Peak Mean Acceleration (PMA) for Tipaimukh dam area has been assumed, according to EIA, to be in the range of 0.23g and 0.35g., while in Tehri dam PMA was estimated at 0.22g.by the Committee of Experts appointed by the Government of India. However, it was acknowledged in the EIA that the PMA might have been underestimated in Tipaimukh design and it was indicated that this estimate would be finalized in consultation with the experts. The sponsors of the project argue that that despite high seismicity, the safety of the dam could be ensured by appropriate design. The critics maintain that such optimism is misplaced and the dam will remain vulnerable to earthquakes. The dam would directly harm about 15000 inhabitants in 67 villages. Of 67 villages, 16 will be wiped out. Zeliangrong tribe of the Nagas inhabits this area. Financial compensation cannot restore their traditional life. The local name of Barak River is Ahu. A large number of their holy places lie in this region along the bank of Barak. The dam will submerge Ahu waterfalls, which had been the backdrop of their fairy tales and beliefs for centuries. Five lakes above the Ahu falls, where the magic sword of their national hero Jadunang is believed to be hidden, will disappear. The aboriginals in this area do not crave for monetary compensation or electricity; they want to preserve their way of life and their heritage. They want the removal of all obstacles to natural flow of their beloved Ahu (Barak). Two hydroelectricity projects in Northeast India have turned out to be abortive though they have inflicted incalculable harms on the residents in those areas. One of them is the Dumbur Dam on the Gumoti River in Tripura state. A 30-meter high dam with a capacity of 10MW hydroelectricity was commissioned in 1976. This dam inundated 46.34sq.km. According to Government estimates based on landownership records, about 15000 people in 2558 households were displaced. The actual affected households are estimated to be in the range of 8,000 and 10,000 and the number of affected peoples may vary between 60,000 and 70,000. Most of the displaced families were deprived of lawful compensation owing to their inability to produce valid land records. They were not, therefore, included in government estimates. Finding no alternative, the displaced persons resorted to slash-and-burn cultivation and large-scale deforestation. This triggered an ecological disaster in the Gumoti basin. Deforestation removed the coverings from the hills precipitating unprecedented accumulation of silt. This in turn rendered the dam virtually ineffective in three decades. While preparing the design of the project, it was assumed that silt at an annual rate of 0.362 mm would accumulate in the water reservoir. In reality, silt deposited at an annual rate of 9.94 mm. The assumption on accumulation of silt was underestimated by 2700 percent! The project is now kept alive by expensive dredging. The peoples are now demanding that this dam should be abandoned and the reclaimed land should be restored to original owners. Many aboriginal peoples displaced by this dam are now actively involved in insurgent activities. Seldom in history has a nation paid so dearly for scanty 10MW electricity. The second abortive project is located in Manipur. This is known as Ithai dam or Loktak project. It was commissioned in 1983 with a capacity of 105 MW at a cost of Rs, 1150 million. The capacity of the project has been impaired by siltation in the water reservoir. The water in the reservoir is polluted. Luxuriant water hyacinth and weeds have contaminated water and choked free flow of water. A study suggests that the family income in the project area declined by about 66 per cent

during last two decades. Environment crisis is forcing continuous displacement of the affected persons from the area. Fish production declined in the reservoir. The people of Manipur want the closure of the project. It is not, therefore, surprising that they are disenchanted with new proposals for hydroelectricity. No elected state government in Manipur accorded approval for the construction of Tipaimukh dam. The approval of the State was obtained surreptitiously during President's rule when no elected government was in office in the state. Dams and hydroelectric plants are major threats to rich biodiversity in Northeastern region of India. Despite local opposition, the Central Government wants to go ahead with the project purely for economic reasons. However, several measures have been taken to mollify the aggrieved local population. First, the project has been transferred from centrally- owned Northeastern Electric Power Company to state-owned National Hydroelectric power Company. This would give a larger share of the revenue of this project to State Government. Secondly, each affected family in the project area will be provided 100 units of electricity gratis for ten years. The operator of the hydroelectric plant should earmark one percent of its revenue for the welfare of affected persons and the State Government will provide equivalent amount as matching grants. Finally, the environmental impact of hydroelectric plants is assessed rigorously and many conditionality are attached to environment clearance. Despite the best efforts of Central government, wide divergences between the Government and local people still persist. Because of their minuscule size, the aggrieved people of Manipur could not make any dent in all India politics. They continue to articulate their concerns through strike, processions, meetings, open letters and memoranda. The architect of modern India Pandit Jawahar Lai Nehru described dams as temples of modern India. His assessment may be valid to some extent from economic point of view. However, he ignored the fact that the stairs of these temples are dyed with blood and washed by tears of minority peoples, the upshots of wanton interference in nature do not remain limited within the borders in India; they also pose threats to marginal people in neighboring countries like Bangladesh.

Tipaimukh Dam and international law:

ON June 21, 2009, Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakrabarty provoked a new debate by questioning the applicability of international law to the Tipaimukh Dam issue. According to him, there does not exist any international law that could prevent India from constructing the Tipaimukh Dam. His argument appears totally erroneous in view of the status of the 1996 Ganges Water Treaty between Bangladesh and India as well the relevance of the applicable international customary laws. According to Article 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, bilateral or multilateral treaties are the primary expression of international law. The 1996 thirty-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty was signed by the heads of states of Bangladesh and India and thus, according to the 1969 Vienna Convention on The Law of Treaties, it has the full backing of international law. Both Bangladesh and India are bound to abide by this treaty until 2026. The 1996 treaty is the relevant law for assessing the validity of the proposed construction of Tipaimukh or any other structure on rivers shared between Bangladesh and India. In addition to making provisions for the Ganges water-sharing, the treaty enshrines, in Article IX, a provision which runs as follows: "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."

As the International Laws Commission's Commentaries on the Draft of 1997 Watercourse Convention provides, pledges to apply the principle of equitable utilization and no-harm

essentially presupposes obligations of conducting prior consultation and conclusion of agreement with co-basin states before undertaking any planned measures on a shared river like the Barak. Therefore, construction of the Tipaimukh Dam by India on the upstream of the Barak, which, after entering Bangladesh, continues to flow as Kushiara and Surma, will be illegal unless it is preceded by prior consensus with Bangladesh. As part of the Tipaimukh project, if India builds a barrage over the Barak River, the resulting disastrous consequences on Bangladesh will be a graver violation of the "no harm" principle acknowledged by both countries in the Ganges treaty. Pinak Ranjan, on the same occasion, also dismissed the applicability of the 1997 UN Watercourse Convention by saying that it has not yet entered into force. His statement is partially true; in the absence of required number of ratifications by states for this Convention, it is not yet binding as an "international treaty law." However, there is every reason to argue that the Convention, being adopted by a vote of 103-3 in the UN General Assembly, is applicable as "evidence of international customary law" to Tipaimukh or any such project on shared rivers. This Convention was drafted by the International Law Commission, which was constituted under Article 13(1) of the United Nations Charter. The draft law produced by this Commission represents either existing or emerging rules of international law (ILC Statute, Article 15); various verdicts of the International Court of Justice have already expressed such a view (for example, the 1997 ICJ verdict regarding the River Danube dispute between Hungary and Slovakia). The 1997 Convention put heavy emphasis on comprehensive cooperation for equitable utilisation of any trans-boundary watercourse, no-harm to all the co-basin states, and adequate protection of the watercourse itself. Therefore, a project with the magnitude of impact upon the environment that may result from the operation of the Tipaimukh Dam cannot be constructed unilaterally by any basin state. The 1997 Convention is supported by recent state practices in different parts of the world. By the terms of 1992 Trans-boundary Watercourses Convention, adopted under the auspices of the UN Economic Union for Europe, there is no scope to undertake planned measures on shared rivers without conducting a comprehensive environmental impact assessment, providing full information to all the concerned basin states and ensuring that there are no serious harmful effects on the ecology as well as the co-riparian states. In the last two decades, various countries in Africa (e.g. 1995 Zambezi River Protocol, 1997 Lake Victoria Program), South East Asia (e.g. 1995 Mekong River Agreement), and South America (e.g. 2004 Program for the Pant anal and Upper Paraguay River) have emphasized basin-wide cooperation for ensuring sustainable utilization and management of international watercourses. The cooperation and no-harm principles are more emphatically endorsed in a number of international environmental instruments to which both Bangladesh and India are parties. Among them, Article 5 of the 1972 Ramsar Convention requires the contracting parties to consult each other about implementing obligations arising under the Convention in respect of trans-boundary wetlands, shared watercourses and coordinated conservation of wetland flora and fauna, and Article 3 of Biodiversity Convention provides that "states have the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other states or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction." Provisions for preventing and mitigating harm related with the utilization of shared water systems are also found in other conventions, including the 1992 Framework Convention on Climate change and the 1994 Convention on Desertification.

 The Stakes of the Bangladesh Government and of the Affected Persons:

The water sharing of trans-boundary rivers between India and Bangladesh has witnessed a bitter past with the Farakka dispute over sharing of waters of the Ganges which is still under negotiation. This issue has been played to the hilt in the domestic political scene in Bangladesh in the past, and the lines are clearly drawn now with the opposition led by Begum Khaleeda Zia actively supporting the anti-Tipaimukh dam civil society groups in Bangladesh. The political opposition has been vociferously attacking the Sheikh Hasina led government which was recently voted to power in Bangladesh and is seen being pro-India. A parliamentary delegation formed from the Bangladesh Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources led by Water Resources Minister of Bangladesh, Abdur Razzaq, visited New Delhi en route to the Tipaimukh Dam site in Manipur in the beginning of August 2009, amidst growing domestic criticism of the project in Bangladesh, and stressed upon the need to have negotiations on the concerns and issues raised between both countries. Bangladesh has urged India to conduct a joint study of the implications that the Tipaimukh Dam would have on the region and the future flow of water in the concerned river system, which directly affects Bangladesh, being the lower-riparian country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had taken up Bangladeshs concerns relating to the Tipaimukh Dam Project with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. A Long March organized by various Bangladeshi civil society organizations which include Tipaimukh Dam Resistance Committee and Sylhet Division Unnayan Sangram Samiti, supported by leaders of BNP and the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami, started for the Tipaimukh dam site on 10 August 2009 but were stopped short of the international border by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), where they held protest demonstrations subsequently. The support of Jamaat-e-Islami on this issue could become a serious source of concern for India. New Delhi should take urgent note of these events in Bangladesh and treat them with diplomatic caution as these could have effects on the larger India-Bangladesh relationship. This is especially important at a time when the current regime in Dhaka is perceived as being as friendly towards India, and their thus exists an opportunity to make headway on number bilateral issues. The diplomatic path and solution that India takes and offers on this contentious water sharing issue could in fact prove to be a pointer towards what India itself expects other upper riparian countries to follow as precedent, especially as water diversion concerns are rising over the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet by China, which could severely affect the Brahmaputra in India as well as the Jamuna river further downstream in Bangladesh. India needs to address the concerns raised by Bangladesh in a manner which sets the tone and agenda for future trans-boundary water negotiations in the larger region, which is a potential hotbed for future water related conflict. New Delhi has to realize that along with ensuring Indias need to develop its hydro-power potential, the bulk of which is in Northeast India, it also has to cater to concerns of environmental degradation, human displacement and the overall sustainability of such projects. Ambitious projects in Northeast India, both in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh could get easily mired in civil society unrest, where insurgents could rally support among to foment more trouble for New Delhi, something which is already being seen in Manipur.

Current Condition about the Tipaimukh Dam:

The construction work was postponed in March 2007 in the face of protests from different quarters of their own country and outside of India. Now the Tipaimukh dam project already been verified by the environment ministry of India. The central government of India has taken new programmed to implement the project. According to the source, the design of the project has been completed. The government of Mizoram State has got approval from the central government to construct Tipaimukh dam spending 5,163.86 crore Indian Rupee cash. At first, the people of the Mizoram State formed strong movement against the dam construction. But the Indian government was able to convince the people of the state to avoid the movement on Tipaimukh Dam. After that, the Indian government wants to convince Bangladesh for shunning the restriction from Bangladesh to construct the dam and for this reason the Foreign Minister of India Shib Shankar Menon recently visited Bangladesh. During the visit he met with Foreign Minister of the country Dr. Dipu Moni, her deputy Hasan Mahmud and others concerned. He discussed about the dam and proposed some facilities from India for Bangladesh if the government of Bangladesh agrees to accept the project of Tipaimukh dam. India is ready to give some facilities to Bangladesh including supplying electricity. He told that Bangladesh should send a delegation comprising technical and political people to witness the project. The optimism of the Indian government is that they will be able to convince Bangladesh. The proposed Tipaimukh dam is to be located 500 metres downstream from the confluence of Barak River, and lies on the south-western corner of Manipur State. Bangladesh gets 7 to 8 percent of its total water from the Barak in Indias north-eastern states. Millions of people are dependent on hundreds of water bodies, fed by the Barak, in the Sylhet region for fishing and agricultural activities. The environmentalists expressed deep concern if the project is implemented it could deprive Bangladesh of its share of the international river that supplies waters to hundreds of water bodies in the region. They fear that the dam would ultimately dry up the Meghna River in the greater Sylhet region and nearly districts. The dam will kill all common rivers of the country particularly the Meghna River, the biggest river of the country. The construction of the dam when completed in 2012 would bring about a major disaster for Bangladesh, virtually drying up the Surma and the Kushiara rivers in winter season, which water most of the north-eastern regions of Bangladesh. The Tipaimukh dam would seriously affect not only agriculture, particularly in winter, but is also going to bring about negative ecological and environmental changes in vast areas in both Bangladesh and India. Among the common rivers, the most rivers affected by Indian barrages and their networks of canals, reservoirs and irrigation schemes are the Ganges, the Meghna and the Teesta. Although India and Bangladesh have water-sharing agreement for the Ganges, there are none for the other 53 common rivers. With the Tipaimukh dam now underway, India would be diverting river waters from its north to its south and east, thereby putting Bangladesh under serious stress. The environmentalists in Bangladesh have held many talks on the adverse impact of the proposed dam. They say the dam would dry up the river and the water bodies in the downstream, leaving millions jobless. It may be mentioned that Water Resource Ministry knows nothing in advance about the construction of the dam and the Minister is also unaware of the dam. There is no information in the ministry about the dam except for some cutting of newspapers.

Conclusion:

By the year 2025, about 3.5 crore people will be deprived from their legitimate share in water. Moreover the demand for water for irrigation purpose will increase by 15-20%. Lack of water will lead to desertification. The only solution lies in construction of reservoirs and dams to store water to meet emergency in future. International Commission on Irrigation holds the view that in the coming 100 years, the world needs another 45000 major dams. The Left leaders in Bangladesh are echoing the statements of BNP-JEI on Tipaimukh dam. They may better look at the dams being constructed by China. The worlds largest dam is coming up on Yangshi River in China. After the Communist revolution in China in 1949, Beijing adapted the policy of constructing dams and reservoir for economic development of the country. BNP leader Khaleda Zia has reportedly sent letters to Indian Prime Minister and UN Secretary General highlighting the so-called threats to Bangladesh from Tipaimukh. She has threatened to raise the Tipaimukh dam issue at the UN and other international forums. But when she was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, she never said a single word against the Tipaimukh dam. Bangladesh government has to take the initiative to hold talks with India. No opposition leader can send letters to the Prime Minister of another country or the UN Secretary General. This is a breach of diplomatic norms. Within India itself, Tipaimukh dam has created some resentment in Manipur, Mizoram and Assam. India will not lose anything if Tipaimukh project does not come through. It is Bangladesh that will be at jeopardy.

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John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1980, p. 454. Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Towards Water Wisdom, Delhi: Sage publications, 2007, p. 110. Sharod K. Jain, Pushpanand K. Agrwal and Bijoy P. Singh, Hydrology and Water Resources of India, Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer, 2007. North Eastern Electric Power Company, Environment Impact Assessment of Tipaimukh dam, Gowhati: NEEPCO, 2006, p. 1 B.M. Abbas A.T., The Ganges Water Dispute, University Press Ltd., Dhaka, Exhibit-4, 1982. Northeastern Electric Power Company, Op. cit., p. l. Khalilur Rahman, Cooperation on Water Resources: Bangladesh Perspective, Dhaka: Centre for Foreign Affairs Studies, 2007. www.cfasQnline.org/articles/ details, php? Id=27. B.M. Abbas A.T., Op. cit. Barak Valley, www.http://barakvalley.com/2009 08 01.archive.html. World Bank, World Development Indicators, Washington D.C.: World Bank, 2007. Subir Bhaumik, Tripura Gumti Dam Must Go, The Ecologist Asia, Vol. 11, No. 1. January-March, 2003. North East Electric Power Company, Op. cit., p. xii. R.N. Lyenger, How safe is Proposed Tehri dam to earthquakes?" Current Science, Vol. 65, No.3, September 1993.