India hints at changes in Tipaimukh design

India has informed Bangladesh that they might bring changes to the controversial Tipaimukh hydroelectric project on an international river, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said today.

In reply to lawmakers’ queries in the parliament, he also said talks at various levels are going on so that the proposed interlinking river project cannot affect Bangladesh if it is implemented.

“The joint survey would be finalised based on the data provided in light of change of the shape of the project,” Anisul said.

The construction of the proposed 1,500 MW Tipaimukh hydroelectric Project downstream of the confluence of river Barak and the Tuivai in Manipur of India, just around a kilometre north of Jakiganj area in Sylhet, would lead to huge destruction of ecology and bio-diversity in Bangladesh as well as in the Indian state, environmentalists said.

Information available in different websites show, implementation of the project would lead to chopping off over 78 lakh trees and 27,000 bamboo columns from over 25000 hectares of forest land in the state, officials said.

Green activists say that these forests are critical habitats of many endangered species including barking deer, gibbons, leopards, grey sibia, serow and the rufous-necked hornbill--the state bird of Manipur.

The project was signed in October 2011 in the presence of then Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and top National Hydro Power Company officials.

It is being executed as a joint venture of the NHPC, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited and the Manipur government.

The project envisages construction of 162.80 metre high rock fill dam with an installed capacity of 6X250 MW, with firm power generation of 434.44 MW. 

Bangladesh would face adverse effects of the Tipaimukh dam, including environmental deprivation, economic crisis and drought, Bangladeshi green activists said.

Water might dried up from Surma-Kushiara, and its 60 branch and distributaries support agriculture, irrigation, navigation, drinking water supply, fisheries, wildlife in numerous haors and low lying areas in the entire Sylhet division and some peripheral areas of Dhaka division.

The river system also supports internal navigation, wildlife in haors, industries like fertiliser, electricity, gas etc.