Inter Basin Water Transfer Link Project of India

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River-link Project
Delhi should consult plan with neighbours
Staff Correspondent
The Daily Star
Sat. December 19, 2004


India should consult now with its neighbouring countries about its plans to link the rivers in India, speakers from Nepal and Bangladesh told an international conference yesterday on the Indian River-Linking Project (IRLP).

Former foreign secretary CM Shafi Sami told the conference that the idea must be explained to the people and the stakeholders as soon as possible to promote understanding and better regional cooperation.

"The lack of information on what India is considering might breed more conflicts and misunderstanding in the long run," he said presiding over the plenary session.

However, the Indian government's position was defended by George Verghese, a member of the taskforce in India that had been responsible for implementing the plan. He told the conference that the idea was still only at a conceptual stage and the feasibility studies were not yet complete. He said the neighbouring countries should only be consulted once the proposals had been finalised.

He admitted that there had been some discussions with the UNDP and the World Bank but explained that this was because it would be necessary to seek funding for the project if it were to go ahead.

George Verghese, who was representing the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, also told the conference on 'Regional Cooperation on Trans-boundary Rivers: Impact of the Indian River-Linking Project' that the proposal would neither deprive the neighbouring countries of water of the common rivers nor destroy the bio-diversity of the downstream regions as some had suggested.

He said the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) of India had been trying to find a solution to the water scarcity problems suffered in the south-west and north of India during the dry season. It had come up with the idea of linking the rivers so that during the rainy season water could be saved and used in the dry areas at other times of the year.

Millions of people in a large part of India are living on land that could turn into desert, he said, and the Indian government must take precautionary steps to avert a possible disastrous situation. Bangladesh, on the other hand, is in a much better position, he noted.

"Transferring water from one place to another for human use has been a natural process from the beginning of civilisation." He criticised those people who oppose the river-linking issue by describing it as 'extraction' and 'anti-environmental'.

Verghese said the Supreme Court of India had ruled against those who had petitioned the court to try to stop the project.

He noted that at present, many states like West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Goa, and Chattishgarh did not agree to the idea, and the project could only go ahead after they had consented.

DIALOGUE STRESSED
DN Dhungel of the Institute for Integrated Development Studies, Nepal, presenting his paper on 'The Nepalese Perspective on Regional Cooperation on Trans-boundary Rivers', stressed the importance of dialogue among the countries.

"Dilly-dallying over exchanging information might create suspicion," he said. He added that the Joint River Commission of India and Nepal was supposed to have its secretary-level meeting every six months, but they had not sat together in the last several years. "This attitude will not help the countries come together."

Emphasising Nepal's willingness to consult on any issue concerning the interest of the neighbouring countries, Dhungel said, "We should have a permanent mechanism both at government and non-government level to continue our dialogue on the common resources."

Source: The Daily Star

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