Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Bangla may oppose Tipaimukh project

IMPHAL, June 2 – Bangladesh is likely to interfere in the construction of the controversial 1,500 MW Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydel Project in Manipur with the former deciding to send an all-party parliamentary committee to

visit the dam site, according to well-placed sources.

However, only after the committee submits its report to the Parliament and a discussion is held will the Bangladesh Government decide whether it should give clearance for the construction of the dam or not, informed a reliable source in the Indian Embassy in Bangladesh.

According to some Bangladesh experts, the project, located barely 1 km from Bangladesh’s Zakiganj border, would hit the flow of the Surma and the Kushiara rivers. Many civil society leaders have joined the environmentalists, who have held many rounds of talks on the possible adverse impact of the dam. Fears have also been expressed that the project would leave the river and other water bodies in the downstream dry, upsetting the ecological balance and affecting many people.

The people of Manipur along with various environmentalists and human rights activists have opposed the construction of the dam stating the damage that it would cause to the environment and the people it would affect.

The Tipaimukh Project is being constructed near the confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers in Manipur and within 100 km of the Bangladesh border. Costing Rs 6,351 crore ($1.35 billion), the 164 metre high dam will have a firm generation capacity of 401.25 MW of electricity.

While hydroelectric projects are typically considered greener than other power generation options in short term, it has significant long-term impact to the environment like changes in the ecosystem, destroying nearby settlements and changing habitat conditions of people, fish and wildlife. Especially in densely populated countries like India and Bangladesh, where rivers are lifelines, projects like Tipaimukh will create adverse effect on a huge number of population and their habitats.

No wonder right from the start this project faced protests from potentially affected people in India, and from the downstream neighbour Bangladesh. The people of Manipur have been fighting legally to stop the project but have so far been unsuccessful. About 20 influential socio-political organizations in Manipur have united under the banner of Action Committee against Tipaimukh Project and are protesting against the project.

Source: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jun0309/ne

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