'Timely steps taken against Indian river-linking project'
BSS, Dhaka
The government had taken appropriate steps in time against the Indian move to withdraw waters from trans-boundary common rivers, Water Resources Minister Hafizuddin, Bir Bikram, told the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday. A formal protest was lodged on August 13 against the proposed Indian mega-project for river inter-linking, the minister said replying to a question from Shah Mohammad Ruhul Quddus of Khulna-6. Under the proposed project, the Indian government is planning to unilaterally withdraw and divert the waters of the international rivers of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Teesta and other common rivers. The minister said a task force has been formed to observe and monitor the project. The government has been evaluating the report of the task force being submitted from time to time. He said the issue was raised and discussed in the 35th meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint River Commission (JRC) in September. In the meeting, Bangladesh conveyed its deep concern over the project, the minister said. Bangladesh also strongly demanded that India refrain from implementing the project till a consensus is reached between the two countries through mutual understanding and negotiations, he added. Hafizuddin informed the House that the JRC also agreed to include this issue in the agenda of the commission. As a result, the door has opened for further discussions on the issue in the next JRC meeting.
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