Neighbours to be consulted before any river linking

Dispelling Bangladesh's deep concern over India's multibillion-dollar river linking project (RLP), Indian Minister for Water Resources Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi yesterday told The Daily Star that his country will not interlink the Himalayan rivers, including the Ganges and Brahmaputra.

In an exclusive interview at his suite at Sonargaon Hotel in the city, Dasmunsi acknowledged completion of feasibility reports on several planned links under the Himalayan Component of the RLP.

He, however, clearly asserted, "Completion of feasibility reports by the National Water Development Agency of India does not necessarily mean the links will be established at the cost of our neighbours."

"Without taking the neighbours into confidence, we'll not do anything in regards to linking the Ganges and Brahmaputra--two rivers that have direct bearings on Bangladesh," the Indian minister said after the two-day 36th Indo-Bangla Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) meeting was rounded off yesterday.

Conceptually, the $124-200 billion RLP has under its mandate transferring of waters from surplus basin to deficient basin through as many as 30 river-links under both the Himalayan and Peninsula components to facilitate irrigation and generate power in the drought-prone Indian states.

Bangladesh, which shares 54 common rivers with India, is worried about the links with the Ganges and Brahmaputra as diversion of water from these two rivers could prove ecologically disastrous for the lower riparian country that depends on the two rivers for 85 percent of its water supplies.

Dasmunsi also gave indication of some breakthroughs in Teesta water-sharing between India and Bangladesh, and touched upon the issues of reviewing availability of Ganges water as per the 1996 Indo-Bangla treaty, joint inspection of bank erosion by transboundary rivers, and advance data exchange of flood forecasting between the two countries.

Terming Bangladesh's concern over the RLP "uncalled for apprehension", the Indian water minister said Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal will start a hue and cry even before Bangladesh if India ever ventures for water-diversion from the Ganges.

On the eight-year long protracted talks on the Teesta water-sharing, Dasmunsi said, "We have to reach a point where two countries can make a sacrificed-share of Teesta. You know, some rivers are flowing with longer catchment area in India and shorter in Bangladesh. So, we need sacrificed-sharing here."

An emotion-choked Dasmunsi, who was born in Dinajpur having his ancestral home in Barisal, said, "If we could give blood for Bangladesh in 1971, we can give you more water. But both sides have to have sacrificing attitude."

Feeding Bangladesh with more advance forecasts on flood for longer lead-time will help Bangladesh to further develop its warning system, Dasmunsi hoped.

Acknowledging delays in holding regular JRC meetings in the past, Dasmunsi said, "From now on we will hold JRC meetings more frequently with the technical-level talks preceding them. This will help resolve all water-related problems."

He said both India and Bangladesh agreed in the JRC meet to review the "operational implementation" of the landmark Ganges Water Sharing Treaty signed by the two countries in 1996.

Dasmunsi explained that due to delayed monsoon and hydrological reformation of the river itself in certain period, Bangladesh got lesser water from the Ganges while India got more and vice versa.

On the rising problems due to siltation of the Ichhamati river along 28 kilometre Indo-Bangla border in North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, Dasmunsi urged Bangladesh to go for immediate joint dredging programme to save the region from unwanted flooding.