Bangladesh deprived of dry season flow of common rivers -Remark by
Indian envoy contradictedbesides the Farakka Barrage on the Ganges,
India has also built barrages on the common rivers Teesta, Mahananda,
Monu, Khowai, Gumti, Muhuri and Kodla
Bangladesh Water Partner****p has contradicted the recent remark by the
Indian high commissioner, Pi**** Ranjan Chakra-varty, on the
availability of water.( UNB)
The BWP in a statement signed by its president Quamrul Islam Siddique
said during the dry season between January and April, the per capita
water availability in Bangladesh was only 563 cubic meters as against
demand for 1001 cubic meters during that period.
The per capita water availability during the wet monsoon season (June-
September) is 6613 cubic meters often over flooding the country.
=EF=BF=BDIt is therefore quite clear that during the monsoon season the
per
capita availability is more than six times of the demand whereas the
per capita water availability in dry season is less than half of the
demand,=EF=BF=BD it said.
The statement added that this critical water availability situation is
being further exacerbated by cross boundary withdrawal of precious dry
season flow of a significant number of other trans-boundary rivers.
=EF=BF=BDIt is known to all that besides the Farakka Barrage on the
Ganges,
India has also built barrages on the common rivers Teesta, Mahananda,
Monu, Khowai, Gumti, Muhuri and Kodla,=EF=BF=BD it said.
Such unilateral dry season water abstraction is telling heavily on the
agro-socio-economic condition of large areas in Bangladesh and badly
hurting the environment of the country, the statement added.
In a discussion the Indian high commissioner said it was not water
availability rather water management was a problem for Bangladesh.
The BWP statement said the flat topography of Bangladesh did not
permit storage of monsoon water for use during dry season. As 54
rivers come into Bangladesh from India, Bangladesh has no control over
the flows entering through these rivers.
http://www.newagebd
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Javed Iqbal Kaleem
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