By IANS,
Dhaka : India has assured that it neither plans irrigation nor would it withdraw water from a dam that it plans to build on Barak river in Manipur state, says a report tabled in parliament.
To be located at Tipaimukh, 200 km upstream of Bangladesh’s border, the dam will be for flood control and power generation only.
This is contained in the report submitted to parliament by a team of lawmakers and water resource experts who visited India earlier this year amid protests by a section of political parties and environmentalists.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is to visit India soon, said that an experts’ committee will examine the data Delhi has supplied about the river dam project that has caused protests here.
Formation of a body to assess the possible impact on Bangladesh of the proposed Tipaimukh dam was under consideration, Hasina told parliament Wednesday.
The parliamentary delegation in its report suggested the formation of the expert team “to conduct a survey and assess the advantages and the overall impact of the dam on Bangladesh”, the Daily Star said Thursday.
The delegation had returned with data earlier not given to Bangladesh.
Hasina told parliament: “The government is interested in resolving all kinds of problems in a peaceful way through dialogues giving priority to the country’s interests.”
She also said it is better for all to resolve problems with the neighbouring country through discussions instead of engaging in quarrels.
“Through dialogue, we have signed a 30-year-long water-sharing treaty with India on the Ganges. We will continue holding discussions with India to ensure that Bangladesh is not affected in any way,” she said while recalling the pact she had signed during her earlier tenure (1996-2001).
Chief of the parliamentary delegation Abdur Razzaq placed in parliament the report on their visit to the Tipaimukh dam site.
“There is no component of irrigation in the project and water will not be withdrawn from the Barak (river),” the report said.
The report said several Indian ministers, experts and high officials informed the team during its visit to India that the project would be implemented only to set up hydro power plant and to reduce the impact of floods.
The report said during their visit a presentation was made for them analysing the data on pre- and post-dam situation.
It said the data and information presented by the Indian authorities show that water level of the Barak would increase at Bangladesh border during dry seasons while water level will drop during monsoon, which will reduce severity of floods in Bangladesh.
In the report the delegation said they did not notice any kind of structure in and around the Tipaimukh site. Besides, the delegation also did not notice any barrage or any other structures downstream of Tipaimukh.
Razzaq said: “The Indian government also assured us of providing necessary information on the issue in future.”
The 11-member delegation led by Razzaq visited India from July 29 to Aug 4.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which did not nominate its lawmakers for the delegation, termed the visit “a picnic party” since the delegation members were not able to land at the site.
In the report, the delegation explained that the helicopter carrying them could not land due to bad weather but they had a good aerial view as the chopper flew low.