India set to start massive project to divert Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers

Ambitious scheme to channel water from regions with a surplus to drought-prone areas could begin in days, but Bangladesh has raised concerns

Reports The guardian. Wednesday 18 May 2016

India is set to start work on a massive, unprecedented river diversion programme, which will channel water away from the north and west of the country to drought-prone areas in the east and south. The plan could be disastrous for the local ecology, environmental activists warn.

The project involves rerouting water from major rivers including the Ganges and Brahmaputra and creating canals to link the Ken and Batwa rivers in central India and Damanganga-Pinjal in the west.

The minister of water resources, Uma Bharti, said this week that work could start in a few days. A spokesperson from her department told the Guardian that the government is still waiting for clearance from the environment ministry.

The project will cost an estimated 20tn rupees (£207bn) and take 20 to 30 years to complete.

The river-linking project could lead to further disputes not just between states, but with the neighbouring government of Bangladesh. India’s plans will affect 100 million people in Bangladesh, who live downstream of the Ganges and Brahmaputra and rely on the rivers for their livelihoods. On Monday, Bangladesh’s minister of water, Nazrul Islam, urged the Indian government to take Bangladesh’s water needs into consideration noting that 54 of 56 Indian rivers flowed through the country.

“India is giving a lot of importance to its own people hit by drought,” he said, “but it must not ignore our rights.”

Also reported by the Prothom-Alo English, Online Desk | Update: 20:39, May 18, 2016

In 2003 when this project first started this author launched a media campaign against it. According to the original Plan the Project was supposed to be completed in 2016, i.e. this year. But due to the strong protest by the Bangladeshi people at home and everywhere throughout the world, and also the protest by the Indian people the Indian Government could not start the Project as planned. Since we are hearing about this Project again this year, the protest against it needs to start once again.

We have done extensive study and research in the subject matter over the last thirteen years. The knowledge that we have acquired through this journey are free for everyone to use for this protest. 

Below is a list of papers and reports we have produced. All these are free to download for the protest:

1. 'ভারতের নদী সংযোগ প্রকল্প, বাংলাদেশের সম্ভাব্য বিপর্যয় ও বিশ্বব্যাপী বাঙ্গালীদের করনীয়' শীর্সেষক  সেমিনার, লন্ডন; ১৫ই নভেম্বর ২০০৩। ২০০৩ সালের অক্টোবর মাসে প্রকল্পের খবর জনসমক্ষে আসার পর আনুমানিক দুই সপ্তাহের মধ্যে প্রস্ততি নিয়ে আমি আমার তৎকালীন লন্ডন নিবাসি বন্ধু ও সহযোগীদের সাহায্যে এই সেমিনার আয়জন করি। উদ্দেশ্য ছিল যুক্তরাজ্য নিবাসী ও তাদের মাধ্যমে বিশ্বব্যাপী সকল বাংলাদেশীদের এই মহা বিপদ সম্বন্ধে জানানো এবং এক গন-আন্দোলনের সূত্রপাত করা। আনন্দের কথা আমাদের সেই উদ্যোগ সফল হয়েছিল; আমাদের এই সেমিনারের পর বাংলাদেশে বাংলাদেশ পরিবেশ আইনবিদ সমিতি (বেলা) ঢাকায় এক জাতীয় সম্মেলনের, এবং আরও অনেকে নানা প্রতিবাদের আয়োজন করে। আমরা এই সকল আয়োজনে আমাদের যথাসাধ্য তথ্য ও উপাত্ত দিয়ে অংশগ্রহণ করি।

   

   ভারতের নদী সংযোগ প্রকল্পের বিরুদ্ধে আন্দোলনের প্রথম ডাক
   

   
   

2. Interlinking of RiversProject (India) and international Law: an overview, Raihan Khalid, Bangladesh. 4th All Asia Public Interest Environmental Law Conference: Global partnerships for the defense of local communities, Tiaong, Quezon, Philippines, March 20 to 26, 2003. Abstract: Though the paper was written in the wake of unveiling of recent mega-project to develop many rivers in India, it goes to briefly examine the long history of the ‘water diplomacy’ between Bangladesh and it’s mighty neighbour India, starting from 1951 till today. The article endeavored to explore the unique role that rivers play behind the very existence of the world’s largest delta, comprising Bangladesh and West Bengal state of India, which also includes the largest mangrove forest in the world. The paper then examines the role that different theories of international river law played in the ‘realpolitik’ of the water diplomacy between the two countries. After discussing the possible disaster that this project might trigger, the article went on to examine the current status of international law regarding river and river water.
3. The Interlinking of Rivers Project in India and International Water Law: An Overview. Chinese Journal of International Law (2004) 3(2): 553-570. http://chinesejil.oxfordjournals.org/content/3/2/553.full.pdf; Written in the immediate aftermath of the first inception of the River Linking Project in 2003 and presented in London, United Kingdom, the Philippines, India and various locations in Bangladesh. It is the definitive analysis of the Project, the international laws governing it, and the solutions available to Bangladesh. It was free to download from the Journal website until recently. However, a copy can be downloaded from the following sources:  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270801876_The_Interlinking_of_Rivers_Project_in_India_and_International_Water_Law_An_Overview; and: https://archive.org/details/Httpchinesejil.oxfordjournals.orgcontent32553.full.pdfhtml
4. ভারতের নদী সংযোগ প্রকল্প, বাংলাদেশের সম্ভাব্য বিপর্যয় ও বিশ্বব্যাপী বাঙ্গালীদের করনীয়, রায়হান খালিদ। বেনজীন খান সম্পাদিত ভারতের আন্তঃনদী সংযোগ- বাংলাদেশের বিপর্যয় গ্রন্থে প্রকাশিত; কথা প্রকাশ, ২০০৯। ISBN 984-70120-0063-0
5. Transboundary Water Sharing Between Bangladesh & India (2012), Abu Raihan Muhammed Khalid. A PowerPoint presentation covering the whole water sharing problem and solutions. We have developed this presentation in 2006 and presented in for the last eight years in different parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka, Sylhet etc. The Presentation is up to date as of 2012.
6. Water Negotiation in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Basin- Multilateral is the Way Forward, Abu Raihan M. Khalid. Conference Paper · Jan 2013.  Presented in the International Conference on Water Resources of South Asia - Conflict to Cooperation (IC WRSA CC), 4-5 January 2013, Dhaka, Bangladesh, At Dhaka, Bangladesh. Abstract: The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system drains a total catchment area of about 1.72 million sq km through Bangladesh into the Bay of Bengal. 7% of this large catchment area lies in Bangladesh. The other co-riparian countries are India, Nepal, Bhutan and China. This huge system is second only to the Amazon, with an annual discharge of 1,350 billion cubic meters (bcm). Water sharing of these rivers has always given rise to dissatisfaction, disbelief and dispute among the riparian countries. The history of water negotiations in this river basin shows us that the negotiations had mostly been bilateral, which often gave rise to dissatisfaction and frustration among some countries due mainly to the huge inequality in the bargaining power of the riparian countries. Last 50 odd years of bilateral negotiations could not bridge the gaps between the neighboring riparian countries. The international law and practice dictates that it is time to adopt a multilateral approach involving all the riparian countries if the basin countries want to come to a peaceful conclusion to this long standing dispute. It is necessary that the people of the basin area start building platforms for basin-wide cooperation. A basin-wide peoples’ forum will also show the governments involved that this is the way forward. It is also necessary to adopt the relevant international laws so that recourse of the law is available when needed. Also available at the wreforum.org: http://wreforum.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2015/03/WRSACC_Proceedings_Part_4.pdf
7. Looking From Downstream -Tipaimukh Dam: A Transboundary Disaster in the Making, Abu Raihan M Khalid. Conference Paper; Presented at the Strategic Consultation on Water, At Shillong, India in July 2013. Abstract: Bangladesh is a lower riparian to 54 rivers that enters Bangladesh from India. It is the site of the world’s largest alluvial delta formed by the sediments brought in by the Ganges-Brahamaputra-Meghna (GBM) river system. Recently India has undertaken the Tipamukh Multipurpose Project which is proposed to be developed on the shared Barak River in Churachandpur district of Manipur which enters Bangladesh below the proposed dam location. Studies have shown that the proposed dam, if built, would seriously jeopardize the environment and eco-system of the dam area and of the north-east Bangladesh and the life and livelihood of millions of people would be threatened. A serious lack of transparency and cooperation has been noticed among the relevant authorities and as a result distrust and frustration is breeding among the prospective project affected people both in Bangladesh and in India. Only a transparent multilateral approach can resolve the tension and distrust among the neighboring brotherly people of this region.
8. জাতিসংঘের আন্তর্জাতিক পানি চুক্তি অনুসমর্থন করুক বাংলাদেশ! আবু রায়হান মু. খালিদ। দৈনিক সমকাল, ১১ই মার্চ, ২০১৪ এ প্রকাশিত। সুত্রপাতঃ গত ২৫শে ফেব্রুয়ারী ২০১৪ আইভরি কোস্ট ৩৪তম দেশ হিসাবে জাতিসংঘের আন্তর্জাতিক পানি চুক্তি অনুসমর্থন করেছে| জাতিসংঘের এই চুক্তিটির আনুষ্ঠানিক নাম ‘আন্তর্জাতিক জলপ্রবাহ্সমূহের অনাব্য ব্যবহারের আইন সংক্রান্ত জাতিসংঘ চুক্তি, ১৯৯৭’ বা ‘ইউনাইটেড নেশনস কনভেনশন অন দ্য ল অফ দ্য নন-নেভিগেশনাল ইউজেস অফ ইন্টারন্যাশনাল ওয়াটারকোর্সেস, ১৯৯৭’| কনভেনশনের ৩৬(১) অনুচ্ছেদ অনুযায়ী ৩৬তম অনুসমর্থন বা রেটিফিকেশন, অনুমোদন, যোগদানকরণ দলিল জমা পড়ার নব্বুইতম দিবসে এই কনভেনশন কার্যকর হবে| তার মানে আর একটি উপরোক্ত দলিল জমা পড়লেই তার নব্বুইতম দিবসে জাতিসংঘের আন্তর্জাতিক পানি চুক্তি কার্যকর হবে| বাংলাদেশ এখনো এই কনভেনশনটি অনুসমর্থন করেনি, বাংলাদেশ কি হতে পারে সেই ৩৬তম দেশ যে এই মহাগুরুত্বপূর্ণ কনভেনশনটিকে কার্যকর করবে?
   
9. 2015. Bangladesh must ratify the UN Watercourses Convention! "Supreme Court lawyer Abu Mohammad Raihan Khaled, however, pointed out that India neither did vote for the convention nor was likely to ratify it. Yet, if Bangladesh ratifies it, the country can at least raise the point in the international forum and put pressure on India to comply with the convention's provisions once it turns into a law, he said. "National Press Club- VIP Lounge. Presenting my paper at the discussion organised by 12 environmental organisations at the National Press Club on June 7, 2015: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206727813807421&set=a.1202336052003.2032765.1036647065&type=3&theater. The News at The Daily Star: http://www.thedailystar.net/ratify-un-convention-to-bargain-for-due-rights-27469