Indian govt working on river-linking project
India unilaterally withdraws waters from almost all the 54 rivers it shares with Bangladesh.
The Indian government is working to 'transfer water from rivers by digging canals', Sunita Narain, director general of the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, said on January 20.'The reasons behind the (Indian) government's initial move for river interlinking were to transfer a large amount of water from northern India to southern India. But the government has realised that it is a Herculean task, which were always done,' she said when talking to New Age at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
India unilaterally withdraws waters from almost all the 54 rivers it shares with Bangladesh. The two countries signed an agreement in 1996 on sharing of the waters of the river Ganges for 30 years.Meanwhile, protracted negotiations on the Teesta since 1952 eluded any resolution of the dispute over its waters. Water-sharing of the remaining 52 rivers remain unaddressed.
India unilaterally withdraws waters from almost all the 54 rivers it shares with Bangladesh. The two countries signed an agreement in 1996 on sharing of the waters of the river Ganges for 30 years.Meanwhile, protracted negotiations on the Teesta since 1952 eluded any resolution of the dispute over its waters. Water-sharing of the remaining 52 rivers remain unaddressed.
Experts say the mega-river interlinking project, if implemented, would cause loss of habitat and livelihood of millions including tribal, rural and other riverine communities, leading to their destitution on both sides of the border.The interlinking project is 'flawed' and 'undemocratic', and is based upon techno-engineering assumptions that are unrealistic and capital-intensive.
It has the potential to do enormous harm to not only the people of India and lower riparian Bangladesh but will entail slow death of the very rivers which are proposed to be diverted and linked.
Sunita, also a leading researcher, said most of the research organisations in the developing countries were suffering with credibility crisis.The research organisations must restore public credibility first if they want to do something substantial, she added
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/frontpage/6634.html
It has the potential to do enormous harm to not only the people of India and lower riparian Bangladesh but will entail slow death of the very rivers which are proposed to be diverted and linked.
Sunita, also a leading researcher, said most of the research organisations in the developing countries were suffering with credibility crisis.The research organisations must restore public credibility first if they want to do something substantial, she added
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/frontpage/6634.html
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