TigerFan
June 9, 2005, 02:57 PM
Specialists from home, abroad opine
Thursday June 09 2005 10:47:23 AM BDT
Specialists from home and abroad were of the view that Bangladesh would be affected severely if India implements the proposed Tipaimukh dam and river linking projects, reports UNB.
They were addressing a three-day workshop for the journalists on ‘Water Issues in Bangladesh’, which concluded on Tuesday. Asian Development Bank and Jatiya Press Club jointly organised the workshop at the BRAC Center for Development Management in Rajendrapur.
“It is certain that if India implements the river linking and Tipaimukh projects then Bangladesh will have to suffer a lot,” said Dr. Armand Evers, first secretary Water Sector of the Royal Netherlands Embassy.
Replying to a question, Dr. Evers said they had little to do about the Tipaimukh dam and river linking projects as India don’t allow any third party in bilateral issues.
Among the 57 rivers that enter into Bangladesh from other countries, 54 are from India.
Bangladesh is very much dependent on the rivers that come from India and the socioeconomic structures of the country is also based on the water flow of these rivers.
“Even the farmers of the country plant their crops on the basis of adequate water flow of these rivers,” said Dr. Ainun Nishat, IUCN country representative in Bangladesh.
Chairperson of the Global Water Partnership-South Asia M Habib Ullah Majumder said negligence of the Finance Ministry was one of the main reasons that the water situation in Bangladesh did not improve.
He said: “There is no fund for any research on the water issues although it is a basic problem now for Bangladesh.”
In this connection, Majumder said the government allocated only three per cent of the total budget for water sector. “It should be raised at 10-15 per cent to derive benefit from the water sector.”
About the Tipaimukh dam and river-linking projects of India, he said: “We must first ensure optimum utilization of the water that we are getting now, then think of the other things.”
Majumder suggested starting political and diplomatic dialogues between the two countries for resolving the crisis.
Dr. Ainun Nishat said that not only the flood relief, other programmes like this could also help the country to get out from the flood related woes, but it needed long term Flood Control strategies.
“The roads that crisscrossed the rivers of the country is the main reason for waterlogging in the country and the country now needs a Flood Control programme to control the damage of the flood, not resist the flow of flood water,” he said.
Dr. Mostafa Kamal Farooque, Deputy Director (natural resource management), Department of Environment, Quamrul Islam Siddique, Chairman of Bangladesh Water Partnership, Reazuddin Ahmed, President of Jatiya Press Club, Tim Cullen, Manager, ADB Water Awareness Programme, Dr. Kazi Ali Azam, Deputy Managing Director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, and Michael Singsby, chief Technical Adviser of UNDP/UN Habitat, also spoke at the workshop.
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NFB posting
Image courtesy :www.ben-center.org
UNB/ The Bangladesh Observer
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2005-06-09&hidType=TOP&hidRecord=0000000000000000047907
Edited on, June 9, 2005, 7:59 PM GMT, by TigerFan.
Thursday June 09 2005 10:47:23 AM BDT
Specialists from home and abroad were of the view that Bangladesh would be affected severely if India implements the proposed Tipaimukh dam and river linking projects, reports UNB.
They were addressing a three-day workshop for the journalists on ‘Water Issues in Bangladesh’, which concluded on Tuesday. Asian Development Bank and Jatiya Press Club jointly organised the workshop at the BRAC Center for Development Management in Rajendrapur.
“It is certain that if India implements the river linking and Tipaimukh projects then Bangladesh will have to suffer a lot,” said Dr. Armand Evers, first secretary Water Sector of the Royal Netherlands Embassy.
Replying to a question, Dr. Evers said they had little to do about the Tipaimukh dam and river linking projects as India don’t allow any third party in bilateral issues.
Among the 57 rivers that enter into Bangladesh from other countries, 54 are from India.
Bangladesh is very much dependent on the rivers that come from India and the socioeconomic structures of the country is also based on the water flow of these rivers.
“Even the farmers of the country plant their crops on the basis of adequate water flow of these rivers,” said Dr. Ainun Nishat, IUCN country representative in Bangladesh.
Chairperson of the Global Water Partnership-South Asia M Habib Ullah Majumder said negligence of the Finance Ministry was one of the main reasons that the water situation in Bangladesh did not improve.
He said: “There is no fund for any research on the water issues although it is a basic problem now for Bangladesh.”
In this connection, Majumder said the government allocated only three per cent of the total budget for water sector. “It should be raised at 10-15 per cent to derive benefit from the water sector.”
About the Tipaimukh dam and river-linking projects of India, he said: “We must first ensure optimum utilization of the water that we are getting now, then think of the other things.”
Majumder suggested starting political and diplomatic dialogues between the two countries for resolving the crisis.
Dr. Ainun Nishat said that not only the flood relief, other programmes like this could also help the country to get out from the flood related woes, but it needed long term Flood Control strategies.
“The roads that crisscrossed the rivers of the country is the main reason for waterlogging in the country and the country now needs a Flood Control programme to control the damage of the flood, not resist the flow of flood water,” he said.
Dr. Mostafa Kamal Farooque, Deputy Director (natural resource management), Department of Environment, Quamrul Islam Siddique, Chairman of Bangladesh Water Partnership, Reazuddin Ahmed, President of Jatiya Press Club, Tim Cullen, Manager, ADB Water Awareness Programme, Dr. Kazi Ali Azam, Deputy Managing Director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, and Michael Singsby, chief Technical Adviser of UNDP/UN Habitat, also spoke at the workshop.
*************************
NFB posting
Image courtesy :www.ben-center.org
UNB/ The Bangladesh Observer
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2005-06-09&hidType=TOP&hidRecord=0000000000000000047907
Edited on, June 9, 2005, 7:59 PM GMT, by TigerFan.