Adopting a comprehensive river basin management plan that will include all the countries in the Himalayan region is crucial for sustainable growth in the region, said water resource experts at a city event yesterday.
The event, a discussion on Trans-Boundary Water Sharing, was held at the National Press Club auditorium yesterday, jointly organised by Bangla daily the Bhorer Kagoj and online news site abnews24.com.
“Without such a plan, the region’s sustainable growth will not be possible as the economies and peoples’ livelihood there are hugely dependent on water and agriculture,” said Prof Pranab Kumar Roy, a water resource expert from India.
The agriculture sector is already in a vulnerable situation due to the lack of comprehensive management of the shared river basins, he added.
However, Prof Ainun Nishat, renowned Bangladeshi hydrologist, said a treaty on sharing water from common rivers between the countries is urgent before devising the plan, otherwise the plan would not be effective.
Referring to the joint statement declared during the 2011 visit of then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh to Bangladesh, Nishat said: “The statement says clearly about joint management of the river basins shared by the two countries, but it has yet to be implemented due to the lack of political will.”
Since the inception of the Joint River Commission in 1974 for Bangladesh and India, only one treaty on sharing the water of the Ganges River has been signed.
The water-sharing agreement for the rest of the common rivers between the two countries has not been finalised mostly due to India’s unwillingness.
During Manmohan’s visit, a treaty on Teesta water sharing was supposed to be finalised, but did not take place due to West Bengal’s objection in the matter.
Bangladesh and India have 54 common rivers, most of them having upstream in India.
Around 92% of the water in the country’s rivers flows in from India; the rest comes from the rainfall and other sources.
Prof Pranab Kumar Roy further said Bangladesh could solve the crisis for irrigation water and navigation by interlinking rivers with canals, which will divert water from one river to another.
He referred to the water diversion from the Brahmaputra River to the Teesta River to ensure availability of water during lean season in the Teesta basin.
However, Prof Nishat, who was a member of the Joint River Commission Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune that while it could be possible theoretically, practically it would be expensive.
Questioning the need of diverting water through canals, he said: “If water was available in Teesta, why we would we have to divert water from Brahmaputra?”
He further suggested that both the countries follow the joint statement issued during Manmohan’s 2011 Bangladesh visit.
Regarding the dispute over water sharing between Bangladesh and India, Prof Roy said if Israel and Jordan can share water from a common river, despite having long-term political clash, Bangladesh and India can share water peacefully too.
