JS body expresses concern over river-linking projects in India:Daily Sun

  A parliamentary committee Wednesday expressed concern over India’s fresh fund allocation in its river inter-linking projects. The parliamentary standing committee on Water Resources Ministry also decided to learn more details about the projects. After the meeting, chairman of the JS committee Ramesh Chandra Sen told reporters, “It is a matter of grave concern as India has made fresh fund allocat
ion in the river inter-linking projects. We will try to collect information from India through the foreign ministry.” He said that next course of action would be determined after having an understanding of the attitude of the Indian government regarding the river inter-linking. India first took such projects in 1998 after the BJP-led government assumed office, but the Congress government did not move forward with the projects amidst protests by the environmentalists. The Indian High Court in 2012 directed the government to implement the projects. Recently, the Narendra Modi-led government proposed 100 crore rupees in its central budget for the river inter-linking projects. By implementing the projects, India will take waters from the cross-border rivers to its dry areas and Bangladesh apprehends a less water flow due to the projects. “Bangladeshi environmentalists have long been agitating against this project,” Sen said, adding that the environmentalists are concerned over the fund allocation for the project. The committee also vented frustration over the dredging of rivers in Bangladesh. Referring to a visit to Kushtia, Jessore, Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira to inspect the river dredging works, he said the dredging was not done properly from Gorai river to the Padma Bridge. Sen said the JS committee members visited the projects under the Bangladesh Water development Board in Kushia, Jessore, Sathkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat and found that proper dredging was not done in many areas. “We also recommend the government to keep three to four kilometre area of Gorai River under constant dredging so that the flow of Padma remain static in those districts,” he said. When asked why the rivers were not dredged properly, Sen said, “We have fund crisis. That’s why the committee suggests for completing the more necessary projects.” The committee also recommended the government to build dams in a 20-kilometre area across the cross border rivers by this year. “The flow of water from India increased during the rainy season. We have to build a 40-kilometre dam. We suggest the government to build 20-kilometre dam by this year,” he said. Committee members, including Nazrul islam, Talukder Abdul Khaleque, AKM Fazlul Haque, Ekramul Karim Chowdhury, Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury and Selina Jahan Lita attended the meeting.