Fact or fiction?
A detailed article, written by a professor of Khulna University, published in "The Financial Express" on July 26, gives some very interesting points about the Tipaimukh dam and BNP's hue and cry about it. In the professor's opinion it is all a political sham, engineered by the leader of the opposition to regain political ground shattered by her party's total defeat in the last election!
The professor states that the Tipaimukh dam is a hydro-electric project, similar to our Kaptai Dam; and similarly it will have no negative impact downstream in Bangladesh. He also positively states that the project proposal was given to Bangladesh back in 1997 when the dam was proposed by India, and when the BNP was in the government; and they raised no objection about this now "vile" decision taken by India!
Further, he states that the matter was raised in the 35th and 36th meetings of the Joint River Commission, held in 2003 and 2005 respectively; when again the BNP government was in power! Then too no objections were raised. Why now this about face?
Technically, the dam will create a reservoir upstream, and all the upstream water, coming in, will flow down the dam through the turbine or the spillway. No water will be retained anywhere, unless it is diverted elsewhere upstream in India. If this is not done, then there will be no loss of water flow volume downstream through Bangladesh.
She is now "Making hay, while the sun shines"! But she must not forget there is another potent proverb which says: "Truth shall prevail"! The interesting article is worth reading. It makes one wonder if the opposition leader is dwelling on facts or fiction about the Tipaimukh dam. Interested readers may read the article and give their views upon it.
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