BEN Resolution on Tipaimukh Dam
The Barak flows into the Kushiara and Surma in North East Bangladesh. BEN's resolution on India's planned dam on the Barak follows
********************************************************************************************************
Observations and Analysis
In view of the fact that
1. Tipaimukh Dam is not an isolated project; it is part of a comprehensive plan regarding use of rivers that India shares with Bangladesh, and hence needs to be viewed in the broader context of sharing of international rivers by these two countries;
2. In general India has been using its upper riparian position and its economic and financial strength to take unilateral steps with regard to the flow of these international rivers;
3. Most of these unilateral steps have been of diversionary character, diverting the flow of water to other destinations inside India and thus reducing the flow of water into the rivers of Bangladesh. Glaring example of such diversionary interventions are the Farakka Barrage on the Ganges and the Gozaldoba Barrages on the Teesta. The Farakka diversion has drastically reduced the flow of Padma, drying up south-western Bangladesh. Gozaldoba barrages on the other hand have drastically reduced the flow of Teesta in Bangladesh;
4. The diversionary projects of India go against the international norms regarding sharing of international rivers. In particular they violate Bangladesh’s right to prior and customary use of the river water. The entire economy and life in Bangladesh have evolved on the basis of the rivers. Any major change in the volume and direction of flow of these rivers seriously disrupt the economy and livelihood in Bangladesh;
5. There is a pent up emotion among Bangladesh public against India’s unilateral river intervention projects. They perceive Farakka as unjust. Similarly, they perceive Gozaldoba and other intervention projects as unjust and as proof of India’s hubris. These unilateral river intervention projects are a thorn in the Bangladesh-India bilateral relationship, which should be not only good neighborly and mutually beneficial, but also particularly warm given India’s crucial help in Bangladesh’s Liberation War;
6. After many years of hiatus, in 1996 Bangladesh and India signed the Ganges Water Treaty specifying the sharing of the Ganges water at Farakka. Though Article 10 (?) of this Treaty enjoins India not to undertake intervention project in international rivers unilaterally, India in practice has not shown much respect to this provision of the Treaty. Instead, it is proceeding on a more or less unilateral basis with many major intervention projects in rivers shared by Bangladesh.
7. Tipai is one such unilateral intervention project to be undertaken on the Barak river that flows into Bangladesh from India. Not only that India did not seek Bangladesh’s consent and cooperation at the stage of conception and designing of this project, it went all the way to floating international tender inviting bids for construction of the project without sharing the DPR (Detailed Project Report). Only now (in May 2009), when the news of construction of Tipai has generated a lot of civic protest in Bangladesh, the Government of India (GoI) has apparently sent to Bangladesh foreign ministry some information about Tipai;
8. The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has proved to be ineffective in dealing with India with regard to Tipai, as it is generally true with regard to sharing of rivers in general. The GoB did not take up the Tipai issue seriously with India in time. The parties who are in opposition now did not play their expected role when they were in power during 2001-2006, the period when India moved Tipai from conception to implementation stage;
9. Even now, various ministers are giving out contradictory messages, with the water minister often saying that Tipai can be beneficial for Bangladesh. When the Prime Minister has told that Bangladesh reserves its right to express opinion on Tipai on the basis of the finding of the fact finding mission of the Bangladesh Parliamentary delegation, such preemptive statements on the part of the water minister are not warranted. The government is yet to make public the information on Tipai that it has received from India;
10. The GoB has decided to send an all Party delegation to visit Tipai site, look into all the information, and make recommendation;
11. There is the possibility that the Tipai dam with its reservoir can be helpful in stabilizing the Barak flow across seasons, as has been pointed out by some water experts and also has been the basis for water minister’s statements. However
First, Bangladesh does not yet have the necessary facts to assess the changes in Barak flow that Tipai will bring about.
Second, dams can also be a source of destabilization of river flow, not only in the extreme situation of dam break, but in the often recurring situation when the excess water needs to be released in order to protect the Dam leading to unseasonal floods or floods of unusual depth and extent. For example, the unusual 2008 floods in Bihar were caused by such release of water by the dams that India has constructed in the Ganges tributaries near the border with Nepal.
Third, rivers not only bring water, they also bring in sediments, and sedimentation is an important part of Bangladesh as a delta. One major impact of Tipai will be on the sediment volume of the Barak flow, and this impact is likely to be detrimental for Bangladesh.
Fourth, for Bangladesh to benefit from stabilization of Barak flow, it has to have a say or control over the release of water at Tipai. In other words Tipai should then be put under joint control of India and Bangladesh. As of now, Tipai will be totally under Indian control and the water release decisions will be made by India on a unilateral basis. Hence, Bangladesh will be always at the mercy of Indians operating the sluice gates at Tipai. Such a helpless situation is not in Bangladesh’s interests.
Fifth, Bangladesh has to assess the costs and benefits for her economy the seasonal changes in the Barak flow that Tipai will bring about. For example, current Boro is the main crop for many in the Surma-Kushiara basin. It is cultivated in the haors or other low lying areas which become dry due to the low winter flows of the rivers. If now the low winter flows increase due to Tipai, cultivation of Boro may become impossible in many areas, disrupting the economy and livelihood. Will these losses be offset by gains in other respects? Studies are needed to answer these questions.
Sixth, apart from economy there is the issue of ecology to consider. The ecology, flora, and fauna of the Surma-Kushiara basin have developed on the basis of a certain seasonal pattern of the river flow, and this is going to get disrupted by major changes in the flow. Detailed studies are necessary to gauge the impact.
All these reasons cast considerable doubt about the arguments favoring Tipai on the basis of its potential to stabilize Barak flow across seasons.
12. Tipai project cannot be separated from the other project in the offing, namely the Fulertal barrage project, meant to divert Barak water for irrigation of Kachar area in Assam. The fact that Tipai will cost about $1.8 billion making the cost of per unit power generated irrational. Such irrational expenditure can be justified only if Tipai is viewed jointly with water diversionary project at Fulertal or some other point. Combined with such diversionary project, Tipai is completely unacceptable to Bangladesh. In such combination, Tipai-Fulertal will be a repetition of Farakka only now on the eastern border of Bangladesh.
13. Worldwide experience shows that large scale interventions in the volume and direction of river flows do not prove to be beneficial in the long run. The hydro power generated often proves meager and costly. The irrigation carried out proves wasteful and leads to salinity and deterioration of soil. Meanwhile, the reservoir submerges huge amount of land, destroying the ecology and displacing thousands of (often most vulnerable and adibashi) people, destroying their culture, causing permanent problems of alienation and insurgency. The reservoir also becomes a sources of methane undercutting the emission reducing potentiality of hydro-power generated. Dams also destroy the natural rhythm of the river flow, obstructs the free movement fish stock movement, obstructs the sediment flow. Finally while these damages prove to the permanent the dams themselves expire their life, become obsolete due to sedimentation and filling up of the reservoir, etc. The reservoir and the upstream flow becomes a cesspool of pollution. The diversionary projects end up harming not only the basin from which water is withdrawn but also the basin or area to which water is redirected and transported (at a great cost). The experiences of Amy Darya and Syr Darya are examples. In view of all these negative consequences BEN is skeptical about Dams, barrages and other large scale river intervention projects. BEN is therefore skeptical about the long term utility of Tipai too (even for India).
14. Many in India are opposed to Tipai. NEEPCO has been able to purchase the consent of state government by offering various “bribes.” But many continue to oppose.
15. Worldwide there is a move away from the Commercial Approach to river that degrades and destroys rivers, increases conflict and animosity among countries of the river basin, and a move towards the Ecological Approach that preserves the natural volume and direction of river flow and helps to foster friendly neighborly relationship among the countries of the river basin. Instead of being a source of discord, as the case with the Commercial Approach, rivers under Ecological Approach become a bond of friendship and good neighborliness.
16. World wide there is a move away from unilateral approach toward multilateral, basin wide approach that includes all countries of a river basin in decision making regarding the use of the river.
Recommendations and Demands
In view of the above BEN
1. Demands that India halts proceeding with Tipai any further and engages in serious, sincere discussion with Bangladesh about the fate of Tipai and all other projects of intervention in the shared international rivers.
2. Demands that India agrees to abandon its current unilateral approach and adopts a multilateral, basin-wide approach to rivers of the region.
3. Demands that India agrees to adopt the multilateral approach with regard to Tipai.
4. Demands that India should under no circumstances undertake water diversionary project (such as at Fulertal or at other points) on the Barak.
5. Demands that India should under no circumstance undertake water diversionary projects on rivers shared by Bangladesh either directly or through tributaries and distributaries.
6. Urges Bangladesh, India, and all countries of the sub-continent to abandon the current Commercial Approach to rivers and adopt the Ecological Approach.
7. Demands that GoB immediately makes public the information that it has received on Tipai from India so all interest can conduct necessary analysis on the basis of the information.
8. Urges that GoB sponsored independent research by Bangladeshi experts on the possible impact of Tipai on Bangladesh economy and ecology.
9. Urges all political parties to adopt a non-partisan approach to the Tipai issue (and issues of water sharing with India in general) and cooperate to develop a united national position with regard to Tipai and dealing with India on the issue of Tipai.
10. Urges all parties to lend cooperation to the government, to the extent that it sincerely tries to find a solution with India regarding Tipai, defending Bangladesh’s national interests and legitimate rights.
11. Urges all parties to join the proposed all-party delegation of Bangladesh Parliament to visit Tipai for fact finding and examination and presentation of report on the basis of the findings.
12. Urges all to build a strong civic movement in Bangladesh to save rivers.
13. Urges formation of a region-wide (including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan) civic movement for protection of rivers and for promotion of the Ecological Approach to rivers in place of the Commercial Approach to rivers.
14. Urges all concerned in Bangladesh, including political parties, civil society organizations, NGOs, think tanks, media, mass organizations, local people organizations, non-resident Bangladeshis, etc. to come together, leaving aside narrow partisan and sectarian interests, and develop and rally behind a united national position regarding Tipai and other river sharing issues.
********************************************************************************************************
Images: