3-nation meeting begins

The first ever tri-nation meeting to form two sub-regional alliances for cooperation in producing electricity from trans-boundary river waters and its sharing began in the capital Thursday morning.

The delegations from India, Bhutan and Bangladesh started the meeting at Sonargaon Hotel around 11:00am.

Bangladesh and India will be common in both the alliances while Nepal and Bhutan will be the third country in either of the two alliances, sources in the water resources ministry said.

The meeting schedule of the second alliance with India and Nepal about management of the Ganges basin is yet to be settled.

After signing the terms of reference, delegates of the member countries might discuss some of the projects’ sites.

Primarily, Bangladesh has selected 20 hydropower sites — nine in India, seven in Nepal and four in Bhutan — in the Ganges and the Brahmaputra river basins.

The sites will be finalised at today's (Thursday) meeting.

The delegates would also discuss implementation of long-term and sustainable projects for economic growth and poverty alleviation.

Development issues and financing of projects in the Ganges and the Brahmaputra river basins are also high on the agenda.