.:: International Farakka Committee ::.

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF HIMALAYAN RIVERS
DHAKA, BANGLADESH
23-25 APRIL 2011

FACTS AND DOCUMENTS ON INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF HIMALAYAN RIVERS

Editorial Board : Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad
Mostafa Kamal Majumder
Atiqur R. K. Eusufzai
Sayed Tipu Sultan
Mohammad Hossain Khan
Dr. B. N. Ahmad

Published by: Steering Committee of the Workshop on Sustainable Management of Himalayan Rivers
Sponsorship IFC

Contact Persons for Books Availability:
Atiqur R. K. Eusufzai, Chairman, IFC, Tel & Fax : 1-(973) 779-2207
Sayed Tipu Sultan, Secretary General, IFC, Fax : 1-(718) 827-7701,
E-mail: stsultan1952@yahoo.com
Mostafa Kamal Majumder, E-mail: mkm@bangla.net

Secretariat in Dhaka:
99 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, 12th Floor, Kawran Bazar, Dhaka
Phone : 880-11952 59456
E-mail: smhrivers@yahoo.com; apuandme1@yahoo.com

Printed at : Noor Card Board Box Factory (Offset Press),
278/1, Elephant Road Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh
Phone : 8627368

Programme

International Workshop on
Sustainable Management of Himalayan Rivers
23-25 April 2011, Dhaka, Bangladesh

08-00 hrs: Start from LGED premise, Agargaon
13-00 hrs: Lunch at Bheramara Rest House
14-00 hrs: Briefing on situation of the Ganges & its distributaries
Engr. Tauhidul Anwar Khan, former member, Joint Rivers Commission
15-30 hrs: Off to Rajshahi
19-30 hrs: Light refreshment and tea at Parjatan Motel
20-00 hrs: Briefing on Life, livelihood and biodiversity:
Prof. Sohrab Uddin Sarkar, Department of Zoology, Dhaka University
21-00: Dinner

April 24: 07-00 hrs: Breakfast at Parjatan Motel
08.00 hrs: Visit to selected Ganges sites
09-00 hrs: Off to Serajganj
12-30 hrs: Lunch at Aristocrat Restaurant, Serajganj.
13-30 hrs: Off to Dhaka
17-00 hrs: Arrival at LGED premises
19-30 hrs: Workshop organisers meet Editors and Political leaders
Chief Guest: Kazi Zafar Ahmed, former Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Chairperson: Sayed Tipu Sultan, Secretary General, IFC

April 25: Workshop
09-00 hrs: Registration at CIRDAP auditorium
9-30-00 – 11-00 hrs: Inaugural Session
Chief guest
Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Honourable Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Special Guest
Dr. Durga P. Paudyal, Director General, CIRDAP
Chairperson: Mohammad Awlad Hossain Khan, Senior Vice Chairman, IFC
Introduction: Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Workshop Co-ordinator
Address of welcome: Sayed Tipu Sultan, Secretary General, IFC
Presentation of theme of workshop: Prof. M. Maniruzzman Miah, Chairman, Workshop Steering Committee
Address by the Special Guest
Address by the Chief Guest
Speech by the Chairperson
Vote of thanks: Mohammad Hossain Khan, Senior Assistant Secretary General. IFC

11-00 hrs:– Tea

11-15 – 13-30 hrs: Second Session
Chairperson: Prof. M. Maniruzzaman Miah, Former Vice Chancellor, Dhaka University
Presentation of Papers:
Dr. SI Khan, Water Expert, Consultant to the UN, Bangladesh
Dr. Upendra Gautam, Nepal Water Partnership, Nepal
Dipak Adhikary, MFRD, Nepal
Dr. Sudhirendar Sharma, Ecological Foundation, Delhi India
Mr. Ramananda Wangkheirakpam, Water Rights Activist, India
Mr. Arshad Abbasi, Water Expert and Researcher, Pakistan
Dr. Shaheen Akhtar, Centre for Regional Studies, Pakistan
Prof. Asif Nazrul, Department of Law, Dhaka University Bangladesh
Engineer Md. Hilaluddin, CEO, Angikar Bangladesh Bangladesh
Dr. Monirul Quader Mirza, University of Toronto, Canada
International perspectives: Dutch expert
Speech by the Chairperson

13-30 hrs: – Lunch

14-00 – 16-00 hrs Third Session
Chairperson: Dr. Upendra Gautam, Nepal Water Partnership
Discussants
1. Mr. Sadek Khan, Eminent journalist & columnist
2. Mr. Khalequzzaman, President, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal
3. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, CEO, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, BELA
4. Engr. Mozaddad Farukh, former chairman, BWDBoard
5. Prof. Zahiruddin Chowdhury, Institute of Flood Control and Water Management, BUET
6. Prof. L.R. Khan, former Vice Chancellor, BBAU
7. Prof. Umme Kulsum Novera, Water Resources Engineering, BUET
Address by the Chairperson

16-00 hrs: Fourth Session – Way forward, adoption of resolution
Chairperson: Prof Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President, IFC, Bangladesh
Presentation of draft resolution: Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Editor, The New Nation
Discussion on the draft resolution
1. Mr. Farhad Mazhar, UBINIG, Development thinker and columnist
2. Dr. Zafarullah Chowdhury, CEO, Gonoshasthya Kendra
Open discussion
Adoption of resolution
Vote of thanks: Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary, IFC, Bangladesh
19-30 hrs: – Dinner

Page no.
Editorial Prof. Dr. Jasim Uddin Ahmad
Mostafa Kamal Majumder 11
Address of Welcome Sayed Tipu Sultan 13
Words of Appreciation Mohammad Hossain Khan 15
Water Problems of Bangladesh Prof. M. Maniruzzaman Miah 16
Rivers do not ‘die’ but are killed Ramaswamy Iyer 19
Rivers must continue to flow Mostafa Kamal Majumder 22
Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Management of Himalayan Rivers Prof. Dr. Jasim Uddin Ahmad 24
Upstream Water Diversion: Disaster For Lower Riparian Country Dr. S. I. Khan 27
Legal Imperatives for Integrated Development of the Himalayan Rivers Dr. Asif Nazrul 31
Impacts of Climate Change and Regional Water Management Tauhidul Anwar Khan
32
A Climate-conscious Cooperation Mechanism on the Himalayan Rivers Dr. Upendra Gautam 34
Dams and Conflict: Ripples of water conflicts due to dam building Ramananda Wangkheirakpam
34
Sharing Rivers for Peace, Security and Development of South Asia Prabin Man Singh 35
Previous Conferences
1. Recommendations of the two days International Conference on Transboundary Water Issues: South Asian Cooperation 37
2. Declaration adopted at the IFC conference on Tipaimukh Dam 38
3. Report of the Conference on ‘Water Problems of Bangladesh: National and Regional Perspectives’ 39
About IFC Atiqur R. K. Eusufzai & Sayed Tipu Sultan 44
Profile and Activities of International Farakka Committee Atiqur R. K. Eusufzai 41 Mohammed Awlad Hossain Khan, Dr. B. N. Ahmad and Mohammad Hossain Khan 47
Profile of IFC Bangladesh Syed Irfanul Bari 54
Steering Committee of the Workshop 56

The steering committee sponsored by IFC is organizing a three day international workshop on Sustainable Management of Himalayan Rivers from 23-25 April 2011 at Dhaka, Bangladesh. Experts from different countries specially from India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh are participating in the workshop.
IFC since it’s formation is engaged in different activities for the conservation of the ecosystem in Bangladesh for its sustainable development. For the last few years IFC organized many workshops and conferences in Bangladesh. In 2006, IFC organized a two-day international conference on ‘Upstream water Diversion: A disaster for Bangladesh’ at the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh on 4-5 January. Eminent scientists, policy planners, intellectuals and journalists participated in the conference and had deliberations and interactions of ideas. Leading figures from different political parties attended the conference and expressed their views on this agenda of utmost national and international importance.
Then in 2006, again IFC organized an international conference on ‘Trans-boundary water issues: South Asian cooperation’, on 9-10 August at the Local Government Engineering Department, Agargaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Experts from India, Nepal, China, Japan and Bangladesh participated as resource person in this conference. Prominent leaders of political parties and leaders of opinion also joined the conference and contributed ideas for such an important issue.
A day long conference was organized by IFC on ‘Tran-boundary rivers with special reference to Tipaimukh Dam’ on 18 July 2009 at National Press Club, Dhaka. Then on July 14, 2010 IFC organized a conference on ‘water problems of Bangladesh: National and regional perspectives’ at National Press Club, Dhaka.
The eco-disaster and untold miseries already inflicted on Bangladesh by upstream water diversion will be multiplied thousand times, if serious attempts are not taken for equitable sharing of water.
A sense of justice and eco-consciousness is emerging in the region. We hope and believe that a Regional River Commission comprising all countries of the Himalayas river basins under the supervision of the United Nations will be able to usher a new era of cooperation and prosperity in the region.
We also hope that the workshop conference and the valuable information emerging from it, would be able to encourage the participants and would usher a new era of cooperation between Bangladesh and the countries of the region for sustainable management of the Himalayan rivers. We would like to thank the authors and contributors for their valuable contributions. We sincerely believe that we would be able to overcome this impending danger by forming a great unity for a common cause of saving the rivers.

Prof. Dr. Jasim Uddin Ahmad

Address of Welcome
Sayed Tipu Sultan, Secretary General, IFC

Honourable Chief Guest, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, honourable Minister of State for Environment and Forest, Special Guest, Dr. Durga P. Paudal, Director General, CIRDAP, Excellencies, distinguished members of the diplomatic missions, foreign experts, guests, journalists, ladies and gentlemen,
As Salamu Alaikum and Good Morning.
Rivers are the cradles of human civilizations; water is life. But in the Indian Subcontinent, it is more than life. Here river is divine; River is Goddess to vast majority of the population. Rivers and river water have always played the central role in the economic and cultural development of the Indian subcontinent. A growing population and the recent accelerated economic activities in this region have made water resource management more complicated in this area. More than 500 million people live in the Ganga (Padma in Bangladesh)-Brahmaputra-Meghna basins. The region comprises some of the world’s most fertile lands of the world. Proper utilization of natural resources can change the lives of many in this region.
Nature has no respect for national borders, but human beings seem incapable of managing their affairs without them. Nature does not endow every place or nation on earth with the same type and amount of resources. Herein lie the roots of all conflict over scarce natural resources within and among nations. Unfortunately, water is one of the most politicized natural resources not only in the developing world, but also in the developed world. Human interventions on the Ganga river have already created serious environmental and ecological problems to Bangladesh. In addition to that a river-linking project in India to divert the other major Himalayan River, the Brahmaputra, now threatens the ecology of entire Bangladesh. The third major river of Bangladesh, the Meghna, is threatened by the construction at upstream of a dam at Tipaimukh over its feeder flows from the Barak. A dam at Gajaldoba in India has rendered the Teesta in Bangladesh dry at many parts.In order to get free insignificant amount of power the Manipur State of India will be loosing around 293.6 km2 under submergence of reservoir water which includes 4760 ha of gardens, 2053 ha of rice cultivable land, 178.2 km2 of forest land besides affecting a large number of villages (105). Decades of experience has made the stakeholders cynical about bilateral negotiations. After successful examples of the Danube Commission, the Nile Basin Agreement and the recent Mekong Basin Treaty, it is now widely accepted that transboundary water courses are best managed if a basin-wide approach is taken. For a permanent solution to the problems in the GBM basins, which are threatening the historical ties of the people nourished by “Mother Ganga” for centuries, the inclusion of all the water courses states in the negotiation in inevitable. The 1997 UN Convention can and should play the guiding role here and in all other transboundary watercourses disputes, as was originally envisaged. Apart from advocacy of the cause of those distressed by random river diversions, a purpose of our campaign is to persuade concerned countries to form a transnational River Commission, particularly for the river Brahmaputra for the resources of which China, India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh are co-riparian.
We have adequate surface water in this region. All we need is good management practice. We propose that a Brahmaputra River Commission be formed at government, non-government and expert levels, to benefit equitably all the co-riparian countries taking into account multinateral dimension of the river’s resources, in the pattern of the Commission for the protection of the Danube River or the Mekong River Commission. Ganga and other river commissions can also be formed under the auspices of the United Nations conventions.
Let me repeat the verse composed by me:
“Let us pray for our renewed birth, Let our mind settle down on earth,
Let our people strive for the best, Let us bow our head to the nature Goddess.”
I on behalf of the Steering Committee on the International Workshop on Sustainable Management of Himalayan Rivers, and IFC, welcome you all here at the CIRDAP auditorium.
We need your full support and cooperation. Thank you all. Thank you indeed.

Words of Appreciation
Mohammad Hossain Khan
Senior Assistant Secretary-General, IFC

Today, I first extend my heart-felt thanks to Honourable Minister of State for the Environment & Forests, Dr. Hasan Mahmud for his support in advancing our cause to ensure Bangladesh’s rightful share in the water of cross boarder rivers.

I am also extending my gratitude from the bottom of my heart to all distinguished guests and speakers, especially to those friends who have come from far away to see personally the devastation caused by the upstream water diversion.

The Farakka Barrage has destroyed the livelihood of millions of people, and contributed to the arsenic contamination of ground water. Today thousands of people in Bangladesh as well as in West Bengal are suffering from various life-threatening arsenic related diseases.

The Farakka Barrage is also changing a vast area of the fertile Ganges delta into a desert, causing huge loss of bio-diversity and threatening the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forests. Thus, it is also causing ecological damages to West Bengal and the entire Ganges basin area.

The International Farakka Committee (IFC) is a non-profit, non-political environmental organization. Its main objective is to raise awareness about the ecosystem damage in Bangladesh caused by water diversion projects in the upper riparian trans-border river systems.

Ultimately, an acceptable and rightful solution to the problem has to be negotiated by the governments of all relevant countries. That’s why the IFC does not align itself with any political party. We want to strengthen the hands of the government in achieving Bangladesh’s rightful share of water of the trans-border rivers. We also believe that the opposition has also role to play. Not only the opposition has to keep a watchful eye on the government’s negotiating efforts, it will also have to carry out the task while in the government.

The IFC believes that a lasting and equitable solution to the problem can only be achieved through co-operation among the countries sharing these rivers. It is only through genuine cooperation and respect for each other’s rights by which we can harness these rivers for the benefits of the people of all countries concerned.

I am extending my sincere gratitude to all of you. Your support today will go a long way in achieving our objectives. We count on your continued support.

I would like to thank the member of steering committee for organizing this important workshop of utmost national importance. My thanks also go to all the sponsors both from Bangladesh and USA.

Water Problems of Bangladesh
Professor M. Maniruzzaman Miah
Former Vice-Chancellor, Dhaka University

Fifty Seven of our rivers, including 54 from India, enter the country from outside bringing in an estimated volume of 1010 BCM of water annually. An additional 340 BCM is available from local rainfall. Of this huge total an estimated 190 BCM is lost through evaporation and evapo-transpiration.
Eighty percent of the remaining huge total of 1160 BCM is concentrated during the five-month Monsoon period from June to October.
How much water do we need today and in about a quarter of a century (2025) from now? Demands on water is there mainly for irrigation, for domestic consumption and commercial and industrial activities, for forestry, for maintenance of water bodies and protection of biodiversity, besides non-consumptive demands for fish, navigation, dilution, and salinity control of coastal areas.
Demand for irrigation water is indeed great. Bangladesh, as is known, is heavily densely populated. In an area of 147570 sq. km its total population in 2001 was 133 m which will reach to about 147 million by 2003 (The state of world population 2003) and this has a propensity to rise further. When will it reach a plateau is yet uncertain. On the other hand, an amount of 80-85 thousand hectares of land is being lost to agriculture every year. This is putting a heavy pressure on already scarce land suitable for agriculture, in turn intensity of cropping is increasing. This would mean an ever increasing demand on irrigation water.
No less important is the accessibility of the people to safe drinking water. The target 10 of Millennium Development Goals is to halve by 2015, the proportion of people without suitable access to safe drinking water. The MDG also enjoins on the states to achieve by 2020 a significant improvement in the lives of slum dwellers, their demands, in particular, for sanitation, sewerage and the like.
The total water requirement today for domestic purposes is approximately 1.33 BCM a year. All in all we need a quantity of 93881 MCM of water for the period from November to May (WARPO 2001)

Other Problems
It is not only the issue of supply and demand that is important. Our problems related to water are, in fact, multi-faceted. They comprise, in the main, floods, droughts, river erosion on the one hand and provision for such essential non-consumptive demands like maintenance of ecology, environment and bio-diversity on the other.
Floods do visit us regularly each year during the Monsoon. It is both a bane and a boon to us. When flood waters submerge more than a quarter of the country’s landmass it causes immense sufferings to the people, human lives and cattle wealth are lost, crops are damaged and infrastructure and important installations suffer large scale destruction. To give one example, the loss in monetary terms due to the floods of 1998 alone was to the tune of USD 3000 m (BWDB).
Floods however can be a boon also as they replenish the lost fertility of the soils, ward off ingress of saline water into the mainland, resuscitate the dying and derelict channels and river courses, and most important of all, the water bodies and wetlands thus help preserve the essential ecosystem and bio- diversity of the country. The need for preservation of eco-system and bio-diversity is very vital for us.

Bank erosion is yet another disaster that happens consequent upon floods. River-erosion makes at least 20000 families homeless every year. According to a World Disaster Report (2001) published by the IFRCS some 100000 people suffer and 9000 hectares of precious cultivable land are eroded. A majority of the affected people lose their hearth and home never to recover them again, and enter into a cycle of poverty from which they hardly can extricate themselves. It has been estimated that in 2000 alone (Bangladesh Disaster Report) the area and number of people affected were 219310 acres and 415870 respectively causing a financial loss on the order of USD 3286 m.
Drought is another water related disaster that we are facing with increasing intensity. From the quantity of water that is available during the Monsoon months both due to inflow from outside and that generated inside due to rainfall one may have the impression that we have “excess” water in the country. This notion of excess however is fraught with danger.
This is because there is a wide disparity between the wet Monsoon months and dry winter. Monsoon waters available from one year to the other also vary, besides the fact that within the same season the distribution is not uniform.
Variability in total rainfall and its distribution from the normal pattern are frequent indeed. As a general rule whenever that occurs it does affect agriculture, besides impacting on other aspects of our socio-economic life like fisheries, navigation, salinity incursion, wetland bio-diversity and the like. Loss of agricultural output apart, other ills that may be brought about in its wake seriously jeopardize the delicate food security balance.
Bangladesh experienced serious drought in 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1989 in recent years. Records also show that between November 1998 and April 1999 there was practically no rain over a period of 150 days at a stretch. Our calculation based on data collected from WARPO suggests that in the month of March, 2025 we will have a huge shortage of water to the tune of 6306 MCM.
As if that was not enough, now we hear about the Indian mega project of river linking. The essence of this project is that Himalayan rivers will be diverted from their present day course of flowing through Bangladesh and disgorging their waters into the Bay of Bengal to carry waters to the south of India instead. As our water courses are largely fed by the Indian rivers one can imagine what disastrous consequences it will lead to.
We have mentioned above that a major portion of waters in our rivers are contributed by inflow from upstream. This is true not only for the Monsoon but also for the dry months. More and more withdrawal by the upper riparian to meet the increasing demand on freshwater and absence of an all encompassing water-sharing agreement between India and Bangladesh are complicating matters for us. After a tortuous negotiation for over quarter of a century a deal was struck for sharing the Ganges water for a 5-year period from 1977. Then for 14 years again there was no agreement till a treaty on sharing the Ganges water was signed in December, 1996. We have no sharing arrangement with India in respect of other rivers.
We may mention here that water conflicts between riparian countries is nothing new. In fact, one of the important agreement reached at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 was a consensus on principles of navigational use of the Rhine. USA and Mexico entered into sharing of the Rio Grande in 1908. The USA Supreme Court while adjudicating on water conflicts between states set certain principles some of which were later applied in other cases for resolving disputes between riparian countries elsewhere

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
There has been an awareness among water experts that unless judicious use is made of a finite resource like water there is bound to be a crisis. The UN conference on Environment and Development in its agenda 21 of Chapter 18 in Rio therefore emphasized the need for Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). This principle has gradually become a practical tool for all water experts almost everywhere. The World Water Council, a UNESCO created body has adopted the Global Water Partnership (GWP) as its instrument for implementation of IWRM. The GWP itself works through a network of Regional Water Partnership, the Country Water Partnership and also local level partnership. The network functions through participation of all levels of water users.
Unnecessary jargon has however clouded the definition of IWRM. GWP uses it as a process that promotes the co-coordinated development and management of water, land and related recourses in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystem.

Our water-related problems have been outlined above. But being at the lowermost reaches of the big river basins we have no control over situation upstream. We only serve as the conduit of flood waters, sometimes leading to disastrous consequences. Yet, we believe that the problems of water of the Himalayan watershed however intractable they may appear can be solved satisfactorily applying the principles of IWRM regionally with all the co-basin countries of the region sitting under one umbrella. The pre-requisite for this however is neighbourly good will.

Rivers do not ‘die’ but are killed
Ramaswamy Iyer
Former Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources Government of India

River Conservation is not just a question of rescuing a river from pollution and contamination, but much more. There were some references to rivers dying, but in fact they do not ‘die’ but are killed by human action and neglect. Instead of trying to rescue a heavily polluted river or revive a dead or dying river, we must see that these things do not happen and that rivers remain alive and healthy. This calls for a change in the way we think about rivers. Before we talk of ‘conserving’ a river, we must learn to respect it.
From this point of view, I shall give (this meeting) four catchphrases or slogans: (1) a river is not a drain; (2) a river must flow; (3) a river must have space; and (4) a river is an ecological system in itself, and part of a larger ecological system. Let me explain what I mean.

Among other things, this means a stringent re-examination of ‘water demand’. Reversing the usual practice of proceeding from projections of demand to supply-side answers, we must proceed from recognition of finite supply to managing the demand within that availability. In every kind of water-use major economies are possible and necessary. An important reason for such an approach is the fact that much of the water supplied for any use returns to plague us as waste of one kind or another. The greater the supply of water, the greater the generation of waste. That is a very strong reason for minimising supply-side answers. In agriculture, there is great scope for getting much more out of each drop of water; in industry we must move towards maximum re-cycling and re-use of the same water and minimum new supply; and in urban and rural water supply, we must re-examine the per capita norms and reduce them, and ensure a more equitable redistribution of the water that is supplied, providing some more water to areas and groups that get too little and imposing severe restraints and penalties on those who over-use water. This will not merely ease the pressure on a scarce resource and ensure greater social justice but will also reduce the generation of waste and the consequent pollution of rivers.
* Remarks made at a meeting at the Indian Prime Minister’s Office on 7 July 2007

(Respected Ramaswamy Iyer could not come to the workshop because of his preoccupations with some important activities planned earlier. Responding to our request to give us a write up for the benefit of the workshop he was kind enough to share with us these notes he spelt out at two meetings at the Indian Prime Minister’s officee in July and November 2007. These are not only very relevant but very close to the core of the central theme of our workshop)

Rivers must continue to flow
Mostafa Kamal Majumder
Editor, The New Nation, Dhaka: Adviser, IFC and coordinator of the workshop

South Asia is home to 1.5 billion people. ‘The countries of South Asia except Sri Lanka and Maldives lie within the large Himalayan river systems–the Ganges, the Brahmmaputra, the Meghna, the Indus and the Irrawaty which are transboundary in nature. These river systems directly support agriculture-based livelihoods of about 650 million people.’
Over 40 percent world’s poor live in South Asia. About 35 percent of the population (over 515 million) lives in absolute poverty well below the $1 a day and about 75 percent below $2 a day due to underdeveloped agriculture, and industry, unplanned urbanisation and unsustainable development.
South Asia region faces recurrent floods, droughts, flash flood associated with land slides, river erosion. Bordered by the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea the region is also frequently visited by cyclones, storm induced tidal surges, tornadoes and is vulnerable to climate change. Being in seismic belt, the region faces disasters like earth quake and earth quake induced floods (tsunami) and experience change of river courses.
Despite the poor socio economic conditions, the region is endowed with considerable natural resources. The four major rivers–the Ganges, the Brahmmaputra the Meghna, and the Indus; flowing down the Himalayas-‘The Water Tower of Asia’-have largely shaped the environment of the region starting from the mountains and the glaciers from where they originate all the way through the innumerous water streams, water falls and the floodplains, where they have created and are sustaining ecosystems on which diverse life forms and in turn life and livelihood of people depend, falling finally into the sea. These river systems have fostered civilizations from ancient times and have fertile agricultural flood plains.
These vast natural resources of the region have been shaped over the millennia by nature that respects no political boundary. The southwest monsoon that brings the rains and the winter that brings cold waves from the northwest are no respecters of these boundaries. Same is the case with cyclones, storms and earthquakes. But management of the region’s resources has been obscured not only by political boundaries, perceptional differences and a legacy of mistrust, but also by unsustainable development practices.
The countries have little experience of basin-wide water resources management for regional cooperation on flood and drought management, hydro power generation and navigation. As against this the Commission for the Protection of the Danube River and the Mekong River Commission are shining as successful examples of cooperation in regional management of water resources in a win-win situation for the countries through which the rivers pass.
Unsustainable development activities are leading to deaths of rivers in our region with adverse environmental and economic consequences and talks are increasingly becoming louder on revival or rescue of dead of polluted rivers. But reviving a dead river is easier said than done. In the words of Ramaswamy Iyer, former secretary for water resources of the Government of India, “Instead of trying to rescue a heavily polluted river or revive a dead or dying river, we must see that these things do not happen and that rivers remain alive and healthy. This calls for a change in the way we think about rivers. Before we talk of ‘conserving’ a river, we must learn to respect it. From this point of view, I shall give…four catch phrases or slogans: (1) a river is not a drain; (2) a river must flow; (3) a river must have space; and (4) a river is an ecological system in itself, and part of a larger ecological system.”

Rivers give us a lot of services. We can get the services only if the rivers remain alive. Rivers remain alive if they continue to flow from their points of origin through their floodplains to the sea. Rivers diverted or cut off from their flood plains die because the dry terrains through which they are diverted seep away water instead of contributing some water to their flows from ground water that are available in floodplains during the lean season. In other words rivers are natural systems which cannot be sustained artificially. Rivers that are heavily polluted cannot sustain aquatic life even in their own flows, not to talk about their services to agriculture, industry, supply of drinking water and are thus for all practical purposes dead.

We are here on a mission for strengthening people to people contacts and understanding of the issues with the objective of influencing official policy decisions in our respective countries in favour of the rivers. Rivers that have fostered civilizations in our region and are sustaining life and livelihood should remain alive and continue to flow. Unsustainable management of the Himalayan Rivers would lead to their deaths and destruction of the ecosystems they sustain, with unforeseen catastrophic consequences.This workshop thus proposes to lay the foundation of An Alliance to Save Himalayan Rivers.

Former Vice Chancellor, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka.
President, IFC Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a riverine country. The Padma (Ganges), Meghna, Jamuna (Brahmaputra), Karnaphuli, Surma, Teesta, Barak and innumerable large, medium and small rivers, tributaries and distributaries have criss-crossed the country. Out of 57 international rivers flowing through India and Bangladesh, 54 of them are originated in Himalayan region and other parts of India. The rainwater in Bangladesh accounts for only 7% of the total fresh water flow. Remaining 93% is coming from trans-boundary river sources fed by rain and ice-melting.
At the global scale, freshwater of lakes and rivers, which are the main sources for water consumed by the human societies, contain on an average about 90,000 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of water, which is about 0.26 percent of total global freshwater reserves. The Himalayan region contains about 25% of the global fresh water.
India constructed a dam at Farakka on the upstream of the Ganges and started withdrawal of water on the basis of an ad-hoc agreement signed on 18 April, 1975. In this agreement Bangladesh gave consent for withdrawal of 11-16 thousand cusec water from April 21 to May 31, for a limited period of 41 days. In return India promised that rest of the water will flow through Bangladesh. But after the expiry of that 41 days periods, India, kept on withdrawing water in the lean period of 1975 and 1976. In April 1976, the flow of water at Hardinge point (dam the stream of the Ganges) came as low as 23 thousand cusec against 65 thousand cusec of the corresponding time of previous year.
India signed, a 5 year, water-sharing Treaty with Bangladesh on 5 Nov. 1977. The treaty had a Guarantee Clause for getting 80% of the flow during lean period and an Arbitration clause. After the expiry of the Treaty in 1982, India refused to renew/extend the time period.
Then On October 1982, a two-year mutual agreement, followed by another three years agreement (on Nov. 22, 1985) was signed between the two sides. But in these two agreements, the Guarantee and Arbitration clause of 1977 Treaty were withdrawn. After that on 12 December 1996, a 30-year Water Treaty was signed between India and Bangladesh. This Treaty was also devoid of the Guarantee and Arbitration clauses. After the 1996 Treaty, during the lean period, for the last few years, the flow of water at Hardinge bridge point comes down to 10 thousand cusec, even sometimes as low as 5 thousand cusec.
The main environmental problems already created due to withdrawal and diversion of upstrean water may be pointed as follows:

India is now implementing a gigantic project, ‘Inter-basin River Linking Project’ to divert water from all the common rivers. Upstream withdrawal of water through Farakka Barrage has already started desertification syndrome in Bangladesh, intrusion of salinity in the inland fresh water and created many serious environmental problems including the bio-diversity loss. In addition if India executes the inter basin river link project, then Bangladesh known all over the world as a land of rivers, fishes and rice and a beautiful green land will loose all its present identity.
Regional Cooperation for Sharing of Water
Although a large section of the catchment areas of the 57 common rivers falls within India, the catchment areas also include Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and China.
The Brahmaputra originates at the Chinese Tibetian region then after flowing 1600 km enters India where the length of the river is about 720 km and finally enters Bangladesh. With the tributaries, the total catchment area of the Brahmapurta basin is about 580 thousand square kilometer. The catchment area of the Ganges basin comprising three countries Nepal, India, and Bangladesh is about 1006 thousand square km.
India always insists that the water sharing agreement should be bilateral. But without the involvement of all the co-riperian countries, a meaningful sharing agreement is not possible. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between India and China on 14 January 2002 for provision of hydrological information namely rainfall, water level, discharge and other relevant information on Yaluzangdu/Brahmaputra river in respect of 3 stations, namely, Nugesha, Yangcun and Nuxia in flood season by China to India. The information will be furnished from 1st June to 15th October every year and will be useful for flood forecasting purposes in the North Eastern Region of India.
As a follow-up of the MOU, an Implementation Plan has also been singed between the implementing agency namely the Central Water Commission, Ministry of Water Resources of India and the Bureau of Hydrology & Water Resources, Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese side has transmitted data to India for the above mentioned 3 stations during the year 2002. The Chinese authorities is being persuaded for providing similar information by setting additional hydrological stations on Langquinzandlu (Sutlej) and Palongzangbu (Tributary of Yaluzangbu/ Brahamputra).
The Himalayan region contains about one-fourth of the world’s fresh water reserve. A just and equitable sharing of water by all countries of the basin would be beneficial for all people of the region. The involment of China, where the Brahmaputra is originated, cannot be ignored at all. The Chinese Premier. Wen Jiabao has reiterated the position of China for regional water sharing. In a joint communiqué during the State visit of the Chinese Prime Minister in Bagladesh on 7-8 April 2005, it was stated, ‘Bangladesh and China have agreed to protect and use the water resources of the common rivers of the basin on equal rights and justice and have also agreed for cooperation in the water resources sector” [BSS April 9, 2005]
For sharing the Mekong River water four nations of south-east Asia already reached mutual understanding. Different states have been sharing water of rivers like the Rhine, Danube, Congo, Nile, Amazon, Zambesi, Chad, Indus etc. No upstream country generally obstructs water to deprive a downstream counting. According to international laws all countries irrespective of their size, population, location, religion, language etc. are equal to one another. Even if a river originates in a particular country and then crosses border, that country cannot deprive others of its water.
The Mekong River Commission has been formed under the supervision of the United Nations for the rational sharing of water of the Mekong river basin amongst the countries - Campochia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Indus valley treaty signed between India and Pakistan under the supervision of the United Nations successfully ended the water dispute of the Indus river between India and Pakistan.
Therefore it is logical to say that a Regional River Commission formed under the supervision of United Nations would usher a new era of cooperation amongst the countries of the Ganges – Brahmaputra - Meghna basin, comprising Bangladesh, India, China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.
There is an urgent need of scientific river training, dredging and effective management of water of the common rivers with the help of international agencies. This could possibly avert the impending danger of environmental disaster and human suffering associated with it. A Regional River Commission could also implement all these agenda.
IFC over the years is trying to build national and international opinion and pursuing the agenda that the only solution to end the dispute of water sharing amongst the countries of the region is to formulate a regional water sharing agreement, comprising of all the countries of the river-basins under the supervision of the United Nation which would be able to protect Bangladesh from the impending great danger.

Upstream Water Diversion: Disaster For Lower Riparian Country
Dr. S. I. Khan
Former Environmental Planner, United Nations
Senior Vice President, IFC Bangladesh.

Surface water is carried into Bangladesh by 57 trans-boundary rivers out of which only 3 rivers come from Myanmar and the rest 54 rivers including the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna come through India.

Most of the tributaries of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra originate in China, Nepal and Bhutan. The Ganges, the Brahmaputra and Meghna carrying water from the upper catchments pass through Bangladesh before discharging into the Bay of Bengal.
Plan to divert Bangladesh water in the upstream includes
            ● Diversion of Ganges water and its tributaries including Farakka Barrage
            ● Diversion of Meghna water and its tributaries including proposed dam at
              Tipaimukh
            ● Diversion of other trans-boundary rivers by dam/barrage
            ● Diversion of Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers and their tributaries by
             Inter-basin River Linking Project .
India is the largest beneficiary of these river networks. In addition India receives 4,000 BCM of annual rainfall. Supported by tropical monsoon climate India is in a very comfortable position in terms of available surface water resources. Further more India has a huge groundwater reserve.
It is true that with increase of population water requirements of all countries of the world will increase. That does not mean that a upper riparian country will divert water unilaterally from a common river thereby triggering an environmental catastrophe and devastation in a lower riparian country.
From research and studies even by Indian and American experts it has been found that construction of dams/barrages diverting and altering the natural river courses is counter productive. In Japan, United States and in many other countries thousands of dams have been decommissioned and efforts are being made to restore original river courses at a huge cost.

            ● Scientific water harvesting
            ● Efficient water management
            ● Improved agricultural practice
            ● Minimizing water losses
            ● Desalinization project to supply domestic and industrial water

Country	Rice Production (Tons per hectare)
China India Bangladesh Japan	4.7 2.1 3.5 8.0

Moreover, if we look at the efficiency of irrigation water use it is found that India has the lowest efficiency.

Country	Efficiency of Irrigation water use in %
China India Bangladesh Japan	60 35 70 80

Sources of Bangladesh Water :
Wet Season:
Trans-boundary flow             = 93% (originates in China, Nepal, Bhutan and India)
Rainfall within Bangladesh    =   7%
                                           100%
Dry Season:
Trans-boundary flow              = 99% (originates in China, Nepal, Bhutan and India)
Rainfall within Bangladesh     =   1%
                                              100%
From above it is clear that Bangladesh is fully dependent on trans-boundary river flow for its water requirement.

Rice Production:
Bangladesh now produces enough food to feed its ever increasing population. Thanks to the introduction of high yielding variety of rice called IRRI and BRRI during dry season. Season-wise rice production shows that out of total production
of rice
Dry Season Boro/IRRI-BRRI constitutes = 80%
Wet Season Aman constitutes = 20%
100%

The high yielding variety of rice during dry season can not be grown without full irrigation water supply. This irrigation water comes from.
Groundwater = 80%
Surface water = 20%
100%
Moreover, major portion of drinking water, household water, industrial water, etc comes from groundwater. As a result groundwater table goes down on the average by around 15 feet every year. If it depletes below 26 feet groundwater cannot be lifted by shallow tube-wells which are overwhelmingly used in Bangladesh.

By the grace of the Creator of earth and universe every year this depleted groundwater is recharged by

Inundation of low lying land by normal flood = 12 feet = 80%
Rainfall within Bangladesh = 3 feet = 20%
15 feet =100%

Aman Rice during wet season:
About 50% of agricultural land in Bangladesh in the Ganges, the Bangladesh and the Meghna basins is naturally inundated by normal flooding and Aman rice is grown in these lands. If there is no normal flood in Bangladesh there will be no Aman paddy.

Necessity of River Water in Bangladesh:
            ● To push back saline water that enters inland from Bay of Bengal during
              flow tide twice a day. Due to less river flow resulting from upstream
              withdrawal saline water has been intruding deep into the mainland
              thereby triggering the process of desertification.
            ● For recharging of groundwater to ensure water supply for irrigation,
              drinking, household use, industrial use, cultured fisheries, etc.
            ● For production of Aman rice.
            ● For maintaining natural fish habitats.
            ● For sustaining vegetation, flora and fauna
            ● For protecting Sundarban, the largest mangrove forest.
            ● For maintaining navigational routes.
            ● For maintaining ecological balance
            ● For maintaining environment for sustainable economic grow and welfare of the people
            ● For reducing concentration of arsenic in groundwater, etc.

Every year more than 1100 BCM of cross boundary flow is necessary to cause normal flooding in Bangladesh and also to push back the tidal saline water. If India implements all water diversion projects amounting to 800 BCM, Bangladesh will be left with only (1100-800) 300 BCM trans-boundary river flow which will be extremely insufficient to push back tidal saline water and to recharge groundwater through normal flooding.

Annual Water Requirement in India (up to the year 2025):
(Source: Water Perspectives, Issues and Concerns- by Ramaswamy R. Iyer, SAGE
Publication, New Delhi)

                            Total                  = 780 BCM
Water loss/wastage                        = 120 BCM
                     Grand Total             = 900 BCM

From above it is seen that annual requirement of water in India is only 15% of annual water availability. Then very simple question is that why India has been diverting Bangladesh water?

Impact on poverty alleviation:
With the assistance from donors and development partners the country and the people of Bangladesh have been trying hard to come above the vicious curse of poverty. Bangladesh has become self sufficient in food and income and employment opportunities have been going up towards self-reliance.
Upstream diversion of Bangladesh water will destroy the water based economy of Bangladesh and plunge more than 120 million people (at present estimate) into eternal poverty, hunger, and malnutrition.

● The proposed Link Canal connecting the Brahmaputra river with the Ganges through West Bengal will require 4,000 hectares of land which will be permanently lost.

         This Link Canal will destroy famous tea gardens in Darjeeling and seriously restrict the movement of wild animals and human beings.
   ●    Due to the construction of dam at Tipaimukh across Barak River in Monipur State of India thousands of hectares of forest land will go under water and thousands of people must be shifted to other locations thereby jeopardizing the culture and living style of local people.
   ●    Hundreds of dams and barrages proposed under the inter basin river linking project will destroy natural environment, change the natural course             of rivers and adversely affect the ecological balance.
   ●    Thousands of kilometers of new canals will divide different parts of India thereby creating isolation of human settlements and activities.

Helsinki convention, United Nations Convention and other international regulations prohibit unilateral diversion of water from common international rivers that will harm the interest of other riparian country/countries.
Showing respect to international conventions there are many international cooperation on sharing water of the common international rivers. For example
   ●    Indus Basin Treaty between India and Pakistan
   ●    Danube Regional project between 11 countries in Europe
   ●    Mekong River Commission for guaranteeing equal rights of Mekong river water between Laos, Kampuchea, Vietnam, Thailand and other riparian countries. The main provision in Mekong River Commission is that no country will unilaterally construct any dam or structure in the Mekong River. All these riparian countries will share water on equitable basis for agriculture, fisheries, hydroelectricity, domestic water supply etc.

Primary Approach of Regional Cooperation:
   ●    Formation of river basin-wise Regional Water Commission comprising of members of riparian countries. Nepal, India and Bangladesh will form the Regional Water Commission for the Ganges. China, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh will form Regional Water Commission for the Brahmaputra river. Similarly, India and Bangladesh will form the Regional Water Commission for the Meghna river.
         United Nations, World Bank and relevant international organizations will monitor, supervise and act as arbitrators.
   ●    With the help of friendly countries, international organizations and human rights groups to put pressure on a riparian country, that acts unilaterally and harms another riparian country, for abandoning its counter productive, environmentally suicidal and economically destructive projects.
   ●    All riparian countries should be encouraged to go for less expensive, more productive and environment friendly projects e.g. scientific water harvesting of rain water, increasing efficiency of irrigation water use, improved on-farm water management, improved agricultural practice, use of high yielding variety of seeds, etc.
   ●    Option of using vast reserve of groundwater should always be considered.

Conclusion:
   ●    When India has so many other options, constructing dam/barrage and unilaterally diverting Bangladesh water thereby destroying the country and the people of Bangladesh can never be justified.
   ●    United Nations should immediately intervene and persuade India in following international and United Nations Convention.
   ●    World Bank, Asian development Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation and donors should be urged not to finance projects that violate international Convention and destroy the country and country and people Bangladesh.
   ●    Bangladesh should taken initiative in forming Regional Water Commissions with all riparian countries under the auspices of United Nations and World Bank.
         ●             Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the diplomatic Missions of Bangladesh should take immediate steps in arousing word conscious against upstream water diversion that will destroy the environment due to he people of Bangladesh.
   ●    Bangladesh should formally ask compensation from India for the damage caused to its economy and environment due to the construction of dams/barrages on the cross border rivers including Farakka Barrage.

Bangladesh should join environment conservation group, human rights group and nature sustaining groups in other riparian countries in the region and form a joint platform to launch United Movement against the disastrous diversion of natural flow of rivers that will destroy natural environment, force people to abandon their ancestral homes, destroy agriculture, destroy natural fish habitats and result in saline water intrusion thereby turning fertile lands into desert.

Legal Imperatives for Integrated Development of the Himalayan Rivers
Dr. Asif Nazrul
Professor, Department of Law, Dhaka University

ABSTRACT

The Himalayan Rivers provide sustenance, livelihoods and prosperity to millions of people living in a vast area. It has thus become imperative to plan and implement their integrated utilization, management and development in particular for protecting the interests and rights of the marginalized sections of population and preserving the watercourses itself. However, Himalayan Rivers related bi-lateral arrangements are bureaucratically complex, incomplete and inadequate for planning or facilitating integrated development of the basin. The Commissions established under those arrangements are not even adequately empowered to take decisions on vital issues including on data sharing, dispute settlement or monitoring and enforcing the agreed arrangements for water sharing. The aforesaid agreements concluded for implementing the equitable utilization principles have failed to take account of an essential component of the principle which requires adequate protection of the watercourse. The no-harm principle is also narrowly understood here by disregarding the duty to ensure the protection of the riverrine ecosystem from any pollution and harmful condition. The sate-practice here fails to understand the inseparable correlation between equitable utilization and procedural obligations of prior consultation and negotiation on the basis of comprehensive data sharing. Consequently, most of the negotiations for treaties including the recent Ganges and Mahakali treaty were conducted partly to legalize or accommodate measures already undertaken unilaterally. Compared to Indus Treaty benchmark, the post-treaty procedural obligations in those Treaties are equally weak and narrower which partly explain their inadequacy to resolve the competing interests in the equitable utilization of the concerned rivers. The negotiation of these treaties, whenever carried out, deviates from the normative emphasis on protecting the vital human needs which implies the
desirability of taking into account the interests of the marginalized and voiceless population. The worst sufferer of inequitable water utilization is often the poorer section of the society who find almost no place in the planning, executing and administration of mega projects of water esources
utilizations in the sub-continent. It is therefore argued that in stead of undertaking a piecemeal and limited approach for project based bi-lateral agreement, the states of this region must take into account the global norms and best practices and join their hand for integrated basin-wise sustainable development, management and utilization of the watercourses and their eco-system. In particular for the Himalayan Rivers, greater framework for such approach should be pursued
involving India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and China.

Impacts of Climate Change and Regional Water Management
Tauhidul Anwar Khan
Secretary General
Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP)

Water availability vis-á-vis demand is really interesting here in Bangladesh. Because, during the dry seasons (November-May), the per capita availability of water is only half of the demand; while during the wet season (June-September) the per capita availability of water is six times more than the demand.
In the wet monsoon, flood inundates the country; On the other hand the river waters and the groundwater are the only sources of water during the dry season. There is no scope of large scale storage of monsoon waters for use in dry season because of the flat topography of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is an over populated and land hungry country. Life and living in this riverine country is sustained by the land, water, forests and fisheries that the great rivers like the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna and their flood plains provide.
Wide variations in the water availability between the dry and wet monsoon seasons like overabundance (floods) and water scarcities make life difficult in this country.
Arsenic contamination of groundwater is now posing a great threat to the Public Health of this country. People are already suffering from various diseases arising out of continuous ingestion of arsenic contaminated water. In many places deaths have been reported because of arsenic poisoning.
Rainfall: Average annual mean rainfall in Bangladesh is 2240 mm (1200 in the northwest to more than 4000 mm in the extreme north east). There is virtually no rainfall during the months December to February.
Surface water (SE): More than 230 rivers contribute to the surface water availability; 57 of those are trans-boundary in nature, of which 54 are common between Bangladesh and India.
Groundwater (GW): Widely used all over the county but over exploitation has led to Arsenic contamination of this resource. There are more than a million Tube wells (DTW, STW, HTW) withdrawing water from underground for various uses like drinking and municipal water supply, irrigation and Industrial uses.
Being the lowest riparian of more than 50 trans-boundary rivers, it is really impossible for Bangladesh alone to control or manage the flood waters (more than 90% of which enters from across border) without the active cooperation of the co-basin countries like China, India, Nepal, Bhutan through which the great rivers traverse and ultimately drain through Bangladesh into the Bay of Bengal.
Trans-boundary River does not care political boundaries. But individual countries often undertake different measures to harness, develop and utilize the waters of such rivers in their own territory without taking consent of other riparian or oven informing them.

Climate change
Bangladesh is already a vulnerable country that would become more vulnerable with the Climate Change. Devastating floods, tropical cyclones, storm surges and droughts shall become more frequent and severe.
Mostly the poor shall be hit hardest because they live with great density in lands prone to water related hazards particularly along the 700 km of coast affected by storm surges, ingress of salinity from the Bay and etc.
Doubtless, mitigation measures can reduce the impacts of global warming on water resources, but in some cases with consequential negativities.
Concluding remarks
Many often perceive the water requirements of the different co-basin countries of the trans-boundary rivers as conflicting and in competition with each other. But they are in fact interdependent and potentially complementary. It is for this reason that the common waters of the trans-boundary rivers are to be used in an equitable, fair and just way for the common benefit of the society, economy and environment through out the basin area.
Establishment of institutional mechanism for basin-wide cooperation would provide opportunities for all water users including the silent ones such as the environment and future generations.
This would be a more effective means for the co-basin countries to retain sovereignty than engaging in competition, risking conflict.
Water is a cardinal resource for stability, peace and prosperity and should be used as a force for regional integration, not division.

Water of a trans-boundary river should not be treated either as ‘ours’ or ‘theirs’, it is for everybody.

A Climate-conscious Cooperation Mechanism on the Himalayan Rivers
Dr. Upendra Gautam
Nepal Water Partnership

Abstract
The Rivers originating in and flowing into both the northern and southern basins of Himalayan Asia ask for a geo-political understanding and cooperation backed by appropriate civilizational climate adaptation practices and advances in science and technology so that a harmonious society both at the national and international levels, capable of sustaining sources of life and livelihood, can be secured for our future generations. To realise this goal, we need a help neighbor attitude, honesty in riparian politics and diplomacy, a climate-conscious cooperation mechanism on the Himalayan Rivers, and an independent Himalayan Asia free of colonial vestiges.

Dams and Conflict: Ripples of water conflicts due to dam building
Ramananda Wangkheirakpam,
Mani pur,India

Abstract
The act of dam building creates not only two different ecosystems, one upstream and the other downstream but also creates two or even more competing stakes that can result in multiple conflicts. This paper will make an attempt to look at the different kinds of conflicts dams can create particularly in North East Region of India where numerous dams are being planned. A less visible conflict when dams are planned are those claims and counterclaims on river/water use rights by communities that reside either in the upstream or those that reside within a portion. Here an associated conflict is also the fissure and conflicts within a village or between villages on the issue of consent, compensation etc. This fissure also gets visible all the way down to families. Another set of conflict that this paper will look at are the conflict between communities and government. Such conflicts are long lasting and can delay projects for over many years. Another set of conflicts are those between provincial states for claim on water and its benefits. A key source of long term conflict which can transform even to ‘water-wars’ are those which are’ transnational’ in nature where when river traverse in two or more existing countries. This paper will examine the above conflicts while arguing that use of rivers and water in the region must go beyond narrow interest that serves only a country, sub-state or even ethnic interest.

Sharing Rivers for Peace, Security and Development of South Asia
Prabin Man Singh
Wafed, Nepal

Continental South Asia (India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan) is the most populated region in the world with about one sixth of the global population. The population is ever increasing at the rate of 1.5%. If it continues to increase in this rate, then by 2015 the total population of South Asia will reach over 1.8 billions . Demand of food for the existing and future population, unplanned urbanization and rapid industrialization are some of the biggest challenges these countries are facing. Despite these challenges, the region is bestowed with priceless water resources. Ganges, Bhramaputra and Indus are the major river basins in the region. Nepal, India and Bangladesh share Ganges river basin, whereas India and Bangladesh share Bhramaputra river basin, and likewise, Indus river basin is shared by India and Pakistan.

These rivers are life and blood of these countries. Bangladesh relies on water from Ganges and Bhramaputra for irrigation and drinking water. Nepal is dreaming to earn ‘hydrodollar’ by selling its immense hydroelectricity potential from many tributaries and sub-tributaries of Ganges. Pakistan also relies on Indus River for irrigation of its fertile North Eastern region. India with its more than one billion populations and rapid industrialization requires more water for irrigation and electrification than ever before.

Three bi-lateral treaties to share the major tributaries of Ganges – Koshi, Gandak and Mahakali (in India known as Sharada) – had been singed between the government of India and Nepal in 1954, 1956 and 1996 respectively. The Government of Bangladesh and India singed a Farakkah treaty on sharing of Ganges River in 1996. Similarly, the government of Pakistan and India singed the treaty to share Indus River in 1960.

However, benefit-sharing of these rivers has been unequal and over politicized. The benefit-sharing had not been done in accordance with the present and future water needs of each of the riparian countries. Each country has been trying to get the largest share leading to more controversies. The negotiation process has become a foul play with each other in the absence of basic framework for sharing these rivers for peace, security and regional cooperation. India being the most powerful country in the region with distinct political and geographical advantages has been in control of the negotiation process most of the time.

In another scenario, India’s Interlinking Rivers Project (ILRP) targets to interlink all international rivers flowing through Nepal to India. This is yet another example of such faulty process. India has neither consulted Nepal nor taken any approval of the co-riparian countries before undertaking such a mega project. The ILRP also plans to divert water from all major rivers flowing to Bangladesh without proper consultation and prior approval. In response to it, the Government of Bangladesh has already objected to this scheme for being too destructive for its survival and ecosystem. The Government of Nepal is yet to make any formal statement regarding this. The people and campaign groups and communities have been opposing the ILRP since 2003.

Often international rivers demarcate the boundaries between the co-countries such as Mahakali, Narayani and Mechi Rivers in case of India and Nepal. Over a period of time, the flows of these rivers have shifted laterally. With such shifts, the boundary line between the co-countries also changes. Land area previously in the right bank of the river has come to the left bank of the river and vice versa. Encroachment of disputed territory by another co-riparian country as in the case of Susta (Narayani river basin) and Mahakali river basin in Nepal are some examples of increasing conflicts. India and Pakistan had already fought four wars against each other since 1947 – the year of independence and separation. One of the main reasons behind these wars have been on the issue of Indus River water-sharing.

Despite the widest possibilities of sharing these rivers for peace, security and development in the region, no sincere efforts have been done so far. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as being the only inter-governmental body does not address such issues but only some regional economic and trade issues. No regional framework has been worked out on making the best use of these rivers for peace and prosperity in the region unlike the case of Mekong or other transboundary river basins in other parts of the world.

Water should be regarded as a source of co-operation through the resolution of existing conflicts. Disagreements about how our limited and common water resources should be used are not uncommon but proper solutions must be found through mutual understanding and negotiation that are socially, economically, politically and environmentally acceptable. This can only be achieved through the free, prior and informed participation of all the river basins-based stakeholders. The new global framework suggested by the World Commission on Dams in its report in 2000 for the best management of water and energy resources is certainly an approach to adopt. But it is very clear the denial of transboundary water-related problems and the failure in their resolutions will remain a major obstacle for regional cooperation, peace and prosperity of South Asia.

Recommendations of the two days International Conference on
Trans-Boundary Water Issues: South Asian Cooperation
Dhaka, 9-10 August 2006

A two-day International Conference on ‘Transboundary Water Issues: South Asian Cooperation’ organised by the International Farakka Committee in cooperation with the New Nation, Amar Desh and BangIa Vision as media partners was held from 9-10 August, 2006 at LGED Conference Room, LGED RDEC Building, Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207. Water experts from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, USA, Japan, Sweden, Holland, China, researchers, member of civil societies and activists attended the conference. The following recommendations came out of the two days meet. International Farakka Committee (IFC) is grateful to the participants of the conference specially participants from India, Nepal, Japan and USA.

1.     The conference recommends the formation of three Regional River Commissions one each for the Ganges, the Brahmmaputra and the Meghna basins comprising respective co-riparian countries for judicious management of water resources of the region taking into consideration water needs of every country’s biodiversity and preservation of the ecosystems under the guidance of the United Nations (UN). Bangladesh, UN and concerned authorities should take initiatives for this.
       These Regional River Commissions will be responsible to monitor equitable sharing of river water amongst the river basin countries, protect the environment, eradicate poverty of the people of the region, enhance the living standard and protect the rights, existing natural species, the rights of the deprived women and children.
2.     The conference urges the countries of the Ganges, the Brahmmaputra and Meghna basins to engage in meaningful multilateral dialogues leading to the formation of three regional river commissions to solve the water problems of the region.
3.     The conference appeals to the people, the civil societies, activists and organisations of the Ganges, Brahmmaputra and the Meghna coriparian countries for more exchange of ideas and forging unity for solving the problems.
4.     The conference recommends to the concerned authorities that the planning of water resources should be for the respective entire basins and it should envisage management and development of all aspects of water using Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as a tool.
5.     The conference urges all governments of the region not to undertake intervention on water courses - especially the inter-basis River Linking Project in India and the Saptakoshi High Dam Project in Nepal - that may harm the other riparian countries.
6.     The Conference pledges for the promotion of people to people contacts and collaboration in the three basin countries to work together for peace, human rights, equitable and appropriate development of the peoples.
7.     The conference urges the media to promote continued engagement among the co-basin countries on regional water issues.
8.     The conference recommends that the water of the Himalayan Region should be properly and equitably used for the benefits of the peoples of the region.
9.     The conference urges the concerned national, international agencies and authorities to take appropriate measures to protect the Sunderbans, the largest Mangrove Forest in the World and a World Heritage site.

Declaration adopted at the IFC Conference on Tipaimukh Dam
Dhaka, 18 July 2009

The day-long conference held at National Press Club, Dhaka on 18 July 2009 on transboundary rivers with special reference to Tipaimukh Dam planned on river Barak upstream of the Meghna, (Surma and Kushiara) Bangladesh’s third largest river, viewed with concern that this intervention is being pursued when dams are being decommissioned in the US and Europe to restore rivers that they killed.
The plan has been taken up without taking into account the adverse impacts that the dam would have downstream of the river, its environment and on the livelihood of about millions of people in the northeastern and eastern part of Bangladesh dependent on its flow.
About 70 per cent of the Barak-Meghna basin lies in Bangladesh, but studies said to have been conducted on the feasibility of the dam and its economic, social and environmental impacts have kept the people here in the dark and ignored their rights on the river’s water.
The experience with the Farakka barrage is that diversion of its water without ensuring the minimum environmental flow has led to the death of 30 rivers in the southwestern part of Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s consent was sought in 1975 for experimental running of the barrage which subsequently turned into unilateral water withdrawal till the signing of the 1977 water sharng agreement. After the signing of the 1996 thirty-year treaty,
Bangladesh is not getting water even as per the terms of the treaty. While steps have been taken to ensure minimum ecological flow on the Indian part of the Ganges the same for its Bangladesh part has been ignored, although our experts are of the opinion that Tipaimukh Dam along with the Phuler Tal barraged proposed to be raised in North East India will cause irreversible ecologican and environmental damage to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s response to the invitation to visit the Tipaimukh Dam site before getting all data and information about its feasibility, economic and evironmental impact studies should be cautiously dealt with so as not to fall into diplomatic whirlwind that might be used to show as approval of the plan to construct the dam. The conference urges the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take the matter to the international fora if the demand for all data and information on the plan are not shared and Bangladesh’s opinion is ignored. At the same time it is imperative that the people of Bangladesh of all shades of opinion should be united to realise their just demands.

Report of the Conference on ‘Water Problems of Bangladesh: National and Regional Perspectives’
Dhaka, July 14, 2010

A Conference on ‘Water Problems of Bangladesh: National and Regional Perspectives’ was organized by IFC at National Press Club, Dhaka on July 14, 2010

Inaugural Session
President: Atiqur Rahman Khan Eusufzai, Chairperson, IFC
Coordinator: Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Editor, The New Nation
Sayed Tipu Sulatan, Secretary General of IFC in his inaugural address welcomed the guests, the speakers and the audience.
In his written speech, Sayed Tipu Sultan highlighted the activities of the IFC in promoting the causes of Bangladesh people’s sufferings and agony due to unilateral withdrawal of waters from the Ganges and other major rivers of Bangladesh.
He stressed that a strong national unity was essential to realise Bangladesh’s just share of the Ganges and   all the common rivers flowing through India. A regional approach and logical solution should be pursued to resolve the water dispute and ensure Bangladesh’s right on transnational rivers. He also cited examples of negotiated settlement of water sharing in north America and Europe and East Asia (Mekong region).
Taking into consideration the human sufferings, their solutions and the mutual benefits that could come from the same, a regional commission under UN supervision should be constituted by involving Bangladesh, India, China, Nepal and Bhutan. The problems otherwise may turn worse causing regional tension, Sayed Tipu Sultan said.
Mostafa Kamal Majumder expressed his gratitude to the IFC for their effective role in raising voice against the adverse impact of diversion of rivers at upstream and creating awareness at home and abroad highlighting the water problems faced by the people of Bangladesh. He suggested a panel of   four experts in the IFC to collect data and information to respond to appropriate issues for creating public awareness.   He also pointed out that the water was a national concern and not an issue of any particular political party. It affects all the people of the country.
Atiqur Rahman Khan Eusufzai, Chairman of IFC, read out a letter from US Congressman …. Crowley who assured his cooperation towards solving the water problem of Bangladesh. He explained how the Bangladesh expatriate community in the United States were concerned at the dying of rivers in Bangladesh due to commissioning of the Farakka, other barrage and dams, and how Bangladesh’s green lands were slowly getting dry and turning arid with the rivers drying up because of withdrawal of waters from common rivers in the upstream across our borders.
He described IFC activities like holding of seminars, organization of long marches and trips to affected areas of Sylhet and North Bengal and also lobbying with the international partners for drawing support for Bangladesh’s water problem.
He suggested the government to convene a national convention on water problems by involving the ware   and environment experts from relevant sectors and the leaders from all political parties.

Dr S I Khan, a Senior Vice President, IFC Bangladesh, a former UN environment expert and a visiting faculty of BUET gave a written paper and made power-point presentation on the critical water problems of Bangladesh. The country is gradually approaching an environmental disaster due to Indian withdrawal of upstream waters.
He explained how Indian interventions had caused damage to Bangladesh through diversion of flows of   common rivers by constructing 150 dams. There is a plan to construct more 300 dams on these rivers, he said.
He pointed out   that India had caused enormous damage to Bangladesh by commissioned the Farakka Barrage in 1975   without an   agreement on water sharing. The 1996 agreement on Faraka also failed to protect Bangladesh’s interests. Almost 50 million people of Bangladesh are now directly affected by Farakka. The barrage commissioned 35 years ago also did not bring significant benefit to India, he said.
He asked for de-commissioning of the barrage and return to previous   state of allowing free flow of   Ganges water to the downstream. He also proposed continued pressure on the government of Bangladesh to negotiate with India on the Teesta River water sharing and on the proposed Tipaimukh Dam for the greater interest of our people, their lives and livelihood. He warned that the Tipai Project proposed in the vulnerable seismic zone of north eastern India would cause a devastating impact on the neighbouring areas in Bangladesh.
Professor Dr Maniruzzaman Miah, former Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, and a leading water and environmental expert delivered was the keynote speaker of the conference. Presenting the background of Farakka Barrage, Professor Maniruzzaman Miah said that India took the initiative to construct the structure on in the 1960s during Pakistan period. However, India had to keep the project pending as the then Pakistan government objected to it seeking complete information about the project and its impact on the then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
The situation however, turned favourable for India after a new government assumed power in the newly liberated Bangladesh in December 1971. Taking   the opportunity of “friendship” with Bangladesh,   India resumed its project implementation and commissioned the barrage in 1975 causing far-reaching impacts that put   the lower riparian region into a death trap.
Negotiations for water sharing on common rivers began in 1991 but India never agreed to resolve the dispute through multilateral dialogue. The Ganges originating from Nepal flows to the Bay of Bengal through India and Bangladesh. Of the total waters available at Farakka, 91 per cent comes from Nepal. But India does not want any negotiation by involving all the three nations together. India signed treaty separately with Nepal and Bangladesh on water sharing under different conditions favourable to India only.
India is still playing tricks with Bangladesh on Teesta water sharing and Tipaimukh Dam Project. India has taken a long-term programme to deprive Bangladesh of its legitimate share of common rivers, said Prof Miah, the author of a book “ Hydro-Politics of Farakka Barrage”. He regretted that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh instead of taking a bold step was speaking in the tune of Indians and relying on Indian assurance.
Dr Abdul Quader Bhuiyan,   former Vice Chancellor of Khulna University, Professor Dr Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University, Dr Zafarullah Chowdhury of the Ganosasthya Kendra, columnist Sadek Khan and former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury took part in the discussion.
Dr Abdul Quader Bhuiyan recalled how Maulana Bhasani had made the nation aware of the adverse impacts of Farakka by launching the historic long march. The entire nation stood in one voice to protest Indian the diversion of water that was against the interests of Bangladesh. The then government had played a very positive role in this regard. However, the present government is pursuing a policy of appeasement and keeping silent about our national interests, he said.
Professor Dr Asif Nazrul said Bangladesh is facing desertification and environmental disasters due to the adverse impacts of Farakka. The Ganges water sharing treaty is favouring India, not Bangladesh. India is depriving Bangladesh of its legitimate share but Bangladesh can not yet raise a question on the issue. Dr Asif regretted that some unpatriotic and anti-people politicians were rather propagating Indian viewpoints saying that Tipaimukh dam would not harm Bangladesh’s interests.
Dr Zafar Ullah Chowdhury said no country can claim absolute proprietorship on the universal resources like air, sunlight or transnational water flows. But India is behaving in a manner that rivers flowing downstream are under its unilateral jurisdiction. India is controlling   downstream flow of the common rivers according to her wishes. India should consider the suffering of Bangladesh people as well her own people, Dr Zafar Ullah Chowdhury said adding that the people of Northeast India were also protesting against the construction of dams on the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. We will have to establish our rights through sustained efforts and people’s united fight, he added.
Sadek Khan emphasised on united effort of the people, political leaders and the intelligentsia to resolve the water disputes with our neighbours. He suggested involvement of Nepal in negotiating water disputes with India since the Ganges originates from the Himalayas. He asked for decommissioning of the Farakka Barrage and underlined the need for consistent opinion among the politicians of different camps in the greater national interest.
Abul Hasan Chowdhury said the nation today needs a rock-solid unity and determination like that of liberation war to win the present war for water. There are many sensible and honest people in India who support our causes and want a reasonable solution of the disputes. One third of Bangladesh has been adversely affected by the unilateral withdrawal of waters from common rivers. The two top leaders of the country- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaklewda Zia- must agree and come together to save the country from eminent disaster caused by Indian hydro-politics, he said.
The discussion was followed by a question answer session. Mostafa Kamal Majumder moderated the session while the experts present on the dais   responded to different questions put by members of the audience.
According to the Article 2-A of the Ganges Water treaty Bangladesh is supposed to get not less then 80 per cent of the waters at any situation, explained S I Khan while responding to a question raised by Supreme court lawyer Nazrul Islam Khan. The 1996 agreement, however, was a foolish endeavour that allowed India to reduce the flow and there was no arbitration clause in case of a dispute.
Mrs Selina Khatun, Lecturer of North South University, M Manzurul Islam from Savar, Professor Dr Manzur Mashrafi and Advocate Wahidur Rahman put relevant questions. Prof Maniruzzaman Miah, Sadek Khan, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury and Dr S I Khan responded to the questions.
In his thanks giving speech, Awlad Hossain Khan, Senior Vice Chairman of IFC stressed the need of united efforts of all for launching a social movement to get a sustainable solution to the acute water crises faced in Bangladesh.
“If all the 60 million people of Bangladesh could fight unitedly in achieving the independence of the country in 1971, then why the present 160 million people of the country should not get united for its survival”, Awlad Hosain Khan asked.

Plenary Session
The plenary session began at 2 pm with Professor Jasim Uddin Ahmad, former Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University and President, IFC, Bangladesh in the chair. Former Adviser of the caretaker government Dr Akbar ali Khan was present as chief guest while Mohammad Hossain Khan, Senior Assitant General Secretary of ICF moderated the session. Representatives from different districts, particularly the bordering districts under water stress, spoke in the plenary session.
The speakers included Dr Erfanul Mujib, Professor of Rajshahi University; Professor Obaidur Rahman from Jahangirnagar University; Advocate Shaeen, President of Sylhet Bar Council; Khondakaer Nazim Uddin, a former student leader and Vice President Tangail Press Club, Abu Baker Siddiqui, Mayor, Kurigram Municipality; Mohammad Quamruzzaman, a retired professor from Dinajpur; Humayun Kabir from Habiganj, Mahbubul Islam from Kishoreganj; Advocate Wahidur Rahman from Febi; Shaheed Hossain from Noakhali; Alauddin from Gaibandha; Mohammad Tamujuddin from Dhaka and Eng Mohsin Khan Yusufzai.
They narrated the plight of the people of their localities and pointed out that India’s unilateral withdrawal of water and obstruction of the natural flow of waters by creating dams on common rivers had been causing long term adverse impacts. People are gradually losing their means of livelihood and the natural environment and are failing to sustain themselves in their ancestral homes. They called upon the government to act in the greater interests of the people and the country.
The chief guest of the plenary session, Dr Akbar Ali Khan said that the water problem is an issue of survival of our people as human beings and directly related to the question of sustaining their livelihood.
He said Bangladesh will have to face the greater share of consequences of a possible Tipaimukh disaster as the dam was being constructed in a disaster-prone zone where excessive rain is a common hazard apart from the risk of earthquake.
He referred to the problem of arsenic contamination in ground water which turned alarming in many districts. The citizens should continue sustained pressure on the government for their right to get safe drinking water and sufficient water for cultivation an irrigation, Dr Akbar Ali Khan suggested.
He laid much importance on the use of water for agricultural development and crop production. He expressed concern at the lowering of ground water table that continues to put stress on the survival of our   flora and fauna and the green landscape of Bangladesh.
“It is not only a question of water, but a question of human rights” Dr Akbar Ali Khan stressed.
The chairman of the session Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, sought the cooperation of all the activists and patriotic citizens of the country to forge a greater unity for the movement for obtaining due and legitimate share of waters. He assured that the International Farakka Committee and IFC, Bangladesh, would continue the movement with all the patriotic people till the goal is achieved.
Concluding Session
Chaired by Atiqur Rahman Khan Eusufzai, the concluding session was addressed by a number of political leaders. Barrister Rafiqul Huq present as the Chief Guest. Mostafa Kamal Majumder moderated the session.
Sayed Tipu Sultan read out a 6-point declaration requesting the political leaders to stand united irrespective of their party affiliations in support of the cause of water, the issue of survival of our people by sustaining their lives and livelihoods.
Speaking on the occasion, Khalequzzaman Bhuiyan, General Secretary of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD), said no complete data has been made available in respect of the   entire quantum of   waters flowing through about 1200 rivers crisscrossing the country. Our national development plans had never been related to the actual requirement of the people considering the peculiarities of our   ecological conditions, the soil and water. Even the food security plans are not designed to suit to our ecology, he regretted adding that the economic use of our rivers, and waters was also never considered in our development plans.
He criticised the successive governments for not raising effective   protests when India constructed 38 dams one after another on three major rivers. He warned that “we would not survive as human beings and as a nation if the present ecology, sustaining our life and livelihood, is destroyed.”
“That is why we must unite our people of all walks of life   without waiting for the government to act at the eleventh hour”. He thanked the IFC for organising such an important conference at this critical time.
Mostafa Jamal Haider, former minister, and a presidium member of Jariya Party, expressed his solidarity with the IFC declaration and said the problem can be overcome by uniting the people of the whole country on an emergency basis.
Rashed Khan Menon MP   of the Workers party of Bangladesh also expressed his solidarity with the conference asking for a national unity on water issues. He also stressed that Bangladesh needed a through study and research on the problem to convince the international community to speak in our support.
Barrister Rafiqul Huq, chief guest of the concluding session, said that Bangladesh should move with the water issue in a consistent manner by mobilising international opinion for her causes. “The nation is unfortunate that the political leadership fails to uphold the interests of the people and the country”, he said.
He asked the government to take initiatives to mobilise the people of the country and international support towards an effective solution of the water problems of Bangladesh. On behalf of the organizers, Mostafa Kamal Majumder proposed the vote of thanks at the concluding session. He expressed his gratitude to the water experts, the guests and the participants for making the conference a grand success.

Ramananda Wangkheirakpam works as Coordinator of North East Peoples Alliance. www.nealliance.net

Human Development Report 2005, UNDP. http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data.

Profile and Activities of IFC
Mohammad Awlad Hossain Khan, Dr. N. B. Ahmad
and Mohammad Hossain Khan

The International Farakka Committee (IFC) is a non-profit, non-political environmental organization. It was formed in New York in 1993 to campaign against diversion of Bangladesh's righteous share of water from trans-national river system, the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Meghna and other common rivers. IFC voice concerns about the conservation of the ecosystem in Bangladesh for its sustainable development. From the very inception of IFC in 1993, it had clear stand about the Ganges water treaty. Due to two reasons: (1) the treaty should be among Nepal, India and Bangladesh as the Ganges flows through these three nations, and (2) there should be arbitration system to oversee the treaty included in which each nation will be ensured with the minimum amount of water in the lean period (guarantee clause).
IFC leaders organized a good number of meetings, Photo Exhibition, Videos and Film Show, and seminars in USA at Boston, Washington D.C., New Jersey, New York, Colorado, Los-Angeles, Buffello and Montreal, Canada, Bangladesh, Sweden, Italy and other parts of the world.
From overseas, whenever we look back on our native land, we fondly remember our rivers, canals, lakes, ponds and water holes, our boat rides and swamps, our fun fishing and water frolics, and the lush green landscape that cradles our homes. The image of our homeland that we cherish in our hearts came for a rude shock when the international press and the UN sources reported serious environmental repercussions on Bangladesh of steady withdrawal of waters in the course of the Ganges upstream. We were told by experts involved in the study of Sub-Himalayan river systems that after the expiry of the memorandum of understanding between Bangladesh and India about Ganges water sharing in 1988, large scale withdrawal of water from the Ganges in the two Indian states, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, was going on unchecked. In the absence of a water sharing agreement, Bangladesh was facing serious crisis of water in the Ganges/Kobadak Project. It was compounding the ecodisaster caused by the drying-up of Ganges distributories in Southwest Bangladesh after the Farakka link canal became operational and started diverting flows from Ganges to flush the Calcutta port :
We have all very briefly touch on the activities of the International Farakka Committee since then as follows:
1993 October 1        IFC leaders organized a rally to draw world attention to the environmental problems of Bangladesh at UN Headquarters, New York. The then Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia alerted the world community at the 48th session of UN General Assembly that 80 million people in Bangladesh are faced with catastrophic disaster due to the Farakka Barrage.
1993 October 2        International Farakka Committee (IFC) leaders met Begum Khaleda Zia, the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
1993 October 10       International Seminar was held in Columbia University organized by Farakka Seminar Committee and sponsored by BAPAF (Bangladesh American Public Affairs Front).
1993, November 9    IFC was formed headed by Kazi Zakaria, Atiqur R. K. Eusufzai, and Sayed Tipu Sultan as Chairman, Senior Vice-Chairman, and Secretary General, respectively.
1994 May 14            A Protest Rally was held in front of the UN Headquarters during the visit of the then Prime Minister of India, Narasimha Rao.

1994 May 17            IFC organized a rally and made representation during the visit of Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in Boston. Two Memorandum were submitted to the Secretary General of the United Nations by concerned Bangladeshi-Canadians drawing his attention to the environmental disaster in Bangladesh.
1994 May 18            IFC leaders met Congressman Herb Klein in his New Jersey, U.S.A., office.
1994 May 19            A Rally was held in front of Capitol Hill and Indian High Commission Office in Washington D.C. during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Rao - organized by IFC, to draw attention to the ecodisaster in Bangladesh from unilateral withdrawal of Ganges water.
1994 June 14           IFC organized a workshop. M. H. Khan was the Chief Guest.
1995 June 12           IFC leaders met with Joyti Basu, Chief Minister of West Bengal.
1995 October 24       Rallies were held all over U.S.A. and Canada on UN day.
1996 October 24       IFC leaders met with the then Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad of Bangladesh.
1996 October 24       A rally was held in front of the UN during the General Assembly-organized by IFC, to draw attention to water and environmental problem in Bangladesh.
1997 September 14   IFC leaders participated in 5th International Global Warming Conference held at Columbia University in New York.
1997 September 28   International Seminar was held in LaGuardia Marriott Hotel, organized by IFC, represented by two U.S. Congressmen.
1998 February 11     IFC leaders met with Congressman Bill Pascrell.
1998 July 18-19        IFC organized an International Seminar on ‘The Problem of Surface and Groundwater Management, Arsenic Contamination, and Desertification Syndrome in Bangladesh’. The Seminar was jointly organized with Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB). Dr. Abdur Razzak, Minister for water Resources was the Chief Guest.
1998, October 1       Citizens’ Facts Finding Committee was formed.
1999 July 16            Citizens’ Facts Finding Committee members met the Press at the National Press Club VIP Lounge, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2000 June-July         IFC Organized a series of consultative activities for awareness creation on Farakka and Arsenic problems in Bangladesh and met with several U.S. Congressmen. A video documentation on ‘Adverse impact of Farakka and life and death problems of Arsenic in Bangladesh context’ was produced and shown to the policy planners of North America and Bangladesh.
2001 May 14            IFC organized a reception to Congressman Joseph Crowley, Former Congressman Herb Klein, Robert Ann, Ethel Chen, and Congress-woman Carrolyn B. Melloni for their support to IFC.
2001 June 11           IFC leaders met with U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh and presented a crest to Congressman Joseph Crowley.
2001 June 25           IFC Secretary General Sayed Tipu Sultan represented IFC at an International Seminar on Arsenic held in Rome, Italy, as Chief Guest.
2001 July 31            IFC organized a Press Conference at VIP Lounge of the National Press Club, Dhaka, and urged the political leaders to include the commitment of solving arsenic related problems in Bangladesh in their Election Manifesto.
2001 August 2          IFC jointly organized a Seminar with Bhashani Seba Committee at Santosh Islami University, Tangail, presided by Syed Irfanul Bari on ‘Arsenic Problem of Bangladesh’.
2002 January 12       IFC Secretary General represented in the seminar organized by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) at their Gulshan Auditorium. The seminar was chaired by Ambassador Farooq Subhan and Congressman Joseph Crowley (Chairman Bangladesh Caucus), Congressman Jim McDermott (Chairman Indian Caucus), Sabbir Ahmed and S. F. Rahman were present as guests. Mr. Joseph Crowley spoke about his congressional effort to allocate million dollars in solving the arsenic catastrophe of Bangladesh.
2002 January 13       IFC participated in the International Seminar on ‘Arsenic’ organized by Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH), Bangladesh, where Sayed Tipu Sultan co-chaired in one of the sessions.
2002 January 14-16 IFC represented in the International Workshop organized by the Ministry of LGRD, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2002 June 16           IFC leaders had a meeting with LGRD Minister Mr. Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Govt. of Bangladesh on ‘Arsenic Problem in Bangladesh’.
2002 July                IFC organized a press conference in Bangladesh on ‘Environmental Problems in Bangladesh’.
2002 August            IFC Chairman Mr. Atiqur R. K. Eusufzai and Editor Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad met Honorable Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and apprised her about the publication of the National Documentation.
2003 July 22            IFC organized a discussion meeting with the Vice-Chancellor Prof. M. Abdul Kadir Bhuyia and Faculty Members of Khulna University, Bangladesh, on ‘Arsenic Problem and Adverse Impact of Farakka Barrage on the Sunderbans’, the largest mangrove forest of the World.
2003 Dec.27-29        IFC participated as an invited representative in an international Conference on "Land and Water" in New Delhi, India and voiced their concerns over the 'Indian River Inter-link Mega project' matter.
2004 Feb.12            IFC organized a National Conference entitled, "The impact of Upstream Water Diversion from the International Rivers: Ganges- Brahmaputra -Meghna through Indian River Inter-link Mega project" at the Seminar Hall of Bangladesh-China Friendship Convention Center, Dhaka. Mr. Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M.P., the Honourable Minister for Local Government, Rural development and Cooperatives of Bangladesh was the Chief guest on the occasion. The Chairman and a members of the Bangladesh Caucus of the US Congress, Congressmen Mr. Joseph Crowley and Mr. Gregory Micks were present in the conference as Guests of Honour.

Several senior ministers of Bangladesh Cabinet were present as the Special Guests of honour, they were, Madam Khurshid Zahan Huq, M.P., the Honourable Minister for Women and Children Affairs, Mr. Shahjahan Siraj, M.P., the Honourable Minister for Environment and Forest, Mr. Abdullah Al-Noman, M.P., the Honourable Minister for Food, Mr. Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, BB, M.P., the Honourable Minister for Water Resources, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, M.P., the Honourable State-Minister for Agriculture, Mr. A.N.M. Ehsanul Huq Milan, M.P., the Honourable State-Minister for Education,. Many senior policy planners of the Government and foreign dignitaries from different missions, embassies and high commissions, and representatives of donor agencies attended the workshop as guests on the occasion. Mr. Atiqur R.K. Eusufzai, Chairman of International Farakka Committee presided over the conference.
2004 Sept. 29          IFC organized a protest rally in front of the United Nations Head quarters at NY and handed over a memorandum to UN HQ and to the World Bank leaders, stating the overall adverse effect and impending danger of the project, urging World bank not to finance such a devastating project of India.
2004 March 16         IFC Bangladesh Chapter participated as the member of the 'Bangladesh Citizen's Facts Finding Commission's Farakka rally ('04)' in a calls to stop water insurgency by India on Bangladesh. Dr. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, the President of IFC Bangladesh Chapter and Vice-Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University was made Co-Chairman of the Citizen's Facts Finding Commission. A large number of IFC members visited Kansat of Chapai Nawabganj, Rajshahi to see the devastating impact after the withdrawal of water by Indian Farakka Dam and real situation of the Padma river during lean session. There, in the public meeting, Professor J.U. Ahmad of IFC addressed the huge gathering, calling all to join in the movement towards equal sharing of water with neighbouring countries.
2004 May 25            IFC Bangladesh Chapter hosted a reception in honour of Mr. Banjamin Gillman, Former Chairperson of US Congress' International Committee. During this Bangladesh visit Gillman stayed at State-Guest House Padma and the reception party was held there, where he was briefed by Professor JU Ahmad, President of IFC Bangladesh Chapter about the serious adverse effect of Indian River Inter-link Mega project on Bangladesh and urged him to build world opinion in favour of Bangladesh causes.
2004 June 26-27       IFC organized two seminars to build public opinion against 'Indian river Inter-link Mega project and on its adverse impact on Bangladesh' on 26 June 2004 in Washington D.C. and on 27 June 2004 in NY. Mr. A.R.K.Eusufzai, Chairman, IFC and Mr. Sayed Tipu Sultan, Secretary General, IFC made there Valuable speech and Professor Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President of IFC Bangladesh Chapter presented keynote paper in both the seminars.
2004 May 16            In observance of Farakka Long March day lead by Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani in 1976, IFC Bangladesh Chapter organized a seminar in Tangail press Club, Bangladesh. Speakers were, Mr. A.R.K. Eusufzai, Chairman, IFC and Mr. Sayed Tipu Sultan, Secretary General, IFC and from IFC Bangladesh Chapter Professor Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President, Engr. Dr. S.I. Khan, Adviser, Syed Erfanul Bari. All the speakers remembered the memory of the far-sighted leadership of Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani against the long-term Indian plans of water withdrawal from common rivers.
2004 August 21        IFC, N.Y. and IFC Bangladesh Chapter organized a national workshop on Flood and other environmental problems in Bangladesh: Possible solutions" at VIP Lounge of National Press Club, Dhaka. Engr. Dr. S. I. Khan presented the key-note paper.
2004 Sept. 15-17      A team of 7 IFC persons consisting of Professor Dr. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, Sayed Tipu Sultan, Dr. Engr. S.I. Khan, Syed Erfanul Bari, Kazi Mustafa Kamal and Abul Kashem Laskar visited different location during 15-17 September 2004 along the shore of Brahmaputra and selected Cilmari Bandar as the site for the Grand Rally to be held on 4 March 2005.
2004 Sept. 17          A Seminar on 'River Inter-link Project: and the existence of Bangladesh at a stake' was organized at S.A. Bari AT Auditorium, Dinajpur by IFC Bangladesh Chapter's Dinajpur Branch.
2004 Sept. 22          International Farakka Committee and IFC Bangladesh Chapter organized a press conference at the Conference Room of National Press Club, Dhaka. Where IFC formally announced the Programme of 'LONG MARCH and GRAND RALLY of 2005' and launched the posters and booklets published on this occasion.
2005 March 04            In protest against 'Indian River Inter-link Project', the International FarakkaCommittee (IFC), N.Y., along with IFC Bangladesh Chapter (later named IFC-Bangladesh) andIFC North American Committee for Long March, organized a successful Long March 2005. It started from the premises of ‘Bangladesh National Press Club’ on 3 March 2005 and more than 5,00,000 people. assemble in the Grand Rally on the morning of 4 March 2005 at the Chilmari Bandar, Kurigram district, Rangpur, Bangladesh.
                             The Grand Rally was held at Chilmari Bandar (River-port), Kurigram District, on the bank of the river Brahmaputra. A sea of people voiced with the slogans ‘Save our Rivers, Save Bangladesh’ from different walks of life, irrespective of political believe from all over the country joined the Grand Rally. A good number of expatriate water-righteous activists from all over the world, particularly from North America also attended the Programme.
2005 March 27         IFC Chairman Mr. Atiqur Rahman Eusufzai Salu and Secretary General Sayed Tipu Sultan visited China and met Mr. Yao Jing, the Director, Asian Desk, Foreign Ministry of China and Dr. Chen Jiwei, the Director, Asian Desk, Water Resource Ministry of China and presented them the publications of the International Farakka Committee.
2005 April 01            IFC Secretary General Sayed Tipu Sultan visited India and met Mr. Jyoti Basu, the former Chief Minister of West Bengal, India at CPIM(M) Central Office, Kolkata, West Bengal, India and presented him the book on "National Documentation on Arsenic & Farakka "
2005 April 29,           Under the leadership of International Farakka Committee (IFC). Bangladeshis living abroad in New York and Washington organized a demonstration against Indian River Interlink Project Bangladeshi students, engineers, doctors and businessmen participated in this demonstration. They opposed the news of World Bank to finance the Indian River Interlink Project.

The demonstration was led by Mr. Atiqur Rahman Khan Eusufzai Salu, Chairman, IFC NY. Among others spoke were, Mr. Sayed Tipu Sultan, Secretary General of IFC, Mohammed Saleh, Engineer Harish Ahmed and Engineer Dr Golam Farid Aktar, advisors of IFC. They handed over a memorandum to the Vice President of World Bank.
                                    In the afternoon the leaders met the Director of South Asian Desk, State Department of USA Government, and handed over the memorandum and the documentation of the organization. The Director assured the IFC leaders for extending all out support and assistance for proper distribution of common river water, between India and Bangladesh. On behalf of IFC the leaders invited the Director to join in the proposed IFC conference in January 2006 in Dhaka, Bangladesh involving the experts from India, Bangladesh, China, Bhutan, Nepal and related upper and lower riparian countries.
2005 November 17    On behalf of IFC NY and IFC Bangladesh, the leaders placed floral wrath to the Mazar (graveyard) of the Great Leader Moulana Bhasani at Santosh, Tangail, Bangladesh on 28th death Anniversary of the great leader (go to picture 125).
2006 January 4-5      International Farakka Committee organized a two-day international conference on ‘Upstream water Diversion: A disaster for Bangladesh’ at the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh on 4-5 January, 2006. Eminent scientists, policy planners, intellectuals and journalists participated in the conference for deliberations and interactions of ideas. Leading political leaders from different political parties attended the conference and expressed their views on this agenda of utmost national importance. Abdul Mannan Bhuiya, Hon’ble Minister for LGED and Cooperatives was present as Chief Guest. Mr. Abdul Razzak former Minister of Water resources and Advocate Goutam Chakroborty State Minister for Water Resources were present as special Guest, Guests of Honour were, Mr. Rashed Khan Menon, Mr. Haider Akbar Khan Rono, Mr. Khalequzzaman and Mr. Dilip Barua.
2006 March 23         Jamuna rally site was selected at Gobindashi, Bhuapur, Tangail district. Among others Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President IFC Bangladesh, Engr. Dr. S. I. Khan, Senior Vice-President IFC Bangladesh, Prof. M. Khalilur Rahman, Vice Chancellor, Maulana Bhasani University of science and Technology (MBUST) and Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary IFC Bangladesh were present.
2006 April 6             2 Seminars were held, first, at Bhuapur, then Gobindashi. At a press conference at Tangail the programme of Jamuna rally was launched. Among others Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President IFC Bangladesh, Mr. Awlad H Khan, Senior Vice Chairman, IFC, Engr. Dr. S. I. Khan, Senior Vice-President IFC Bangladesh, Prof. M. Khalilur Rahman, Vice Chancellor, MBUST and Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary IFC Bangladesh were present .
2006 April 19           A Seminar was held at Sirajgoang. Among others Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President IFC Bangladesh, Engr. Dr. S. I. Khan, Senior Vice-President IFC Bangladesh, Prof. M. Khalilur Rahman, Vice Chancellor, MBUST and Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary IFC Bangladesh and Mahbubul Huq Sanu, General Secretary,Tangail District Committee were present.
2006 May 5             2 Seminars were held at Karatia and Rampur. Among others Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President IFC Bangladesh, Prof. M. Khalilur Rahman, Vice Chancellor, MBUST, Engr. Dr. S. I. Khan, Senior Vice-President IFC Bangladesh and Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary IFC Bangladesh were present.
2006 May 7             2 Seminars were held at Gobindashi and Bhuapur. Among others Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President IFC Bangladesh, Engr. Dr. S. I. Khan, Senior Vice-President IFC Bangladesh and Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary IFC Bangladesh were present.
2006 May 10            Press Conference at was organized by IFC at National Press Club Dhaka on Jamuna Rally. Among others Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President IFC Bangladesh, Engr. Dr. S. I. Khan, Senior Vice-President IFC Bangladesh, Prof. M. Khalilur Rahman, Vice Chancellor, MBUST and Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary IFC Bangladesh were present.
2006 May 14            2 Seminars were held at Elenga and premises of Tangail Shahid Minar. Among others Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President IFC Bangladesh, Engr. Dr. S. I. Khan, Senior Vice-President IFC Bangladesh Bulbul Khan, Mahbub, Vice President IFC Bangladesh. Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary IFC Bangladesh are Mahbubul Huq Sanu were present.
2006 May 16            In observance of the 30th Anniversary of Farakka long march day and in protest of the upstream water derision by India, International Farakka Committee Inc. NY. and International Farakka Committee Bangladesh (IFC-B). organized a grand rally and Public meeting at the Jamuna Charland at the village Gobindashi, Bhuapur Upazila, Tangail District on 16 May 2006, where a large number of people gathered from all over the country. The rally adopted a 21 pont declaration for Changing the fate of the people of Bangladesh by obtaing the due share of River water from India.
2006 June 3             A representative meeting was held by the Post Jamuna rally participants, at Darbar Hall, Santosh, Tangail. Among others Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President IFC Bangladesh, Engineer Dr. S. I. Khan, Senior Vice-President, Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary, IFC Bangladesh and Bulbul Khan Mahbub, President, Tangail Comittee IFC Bangladesh were present. = ==
2006 August 8          A representative meeting was held by the Post Jamuna rally participants, at Darbar Hall, Santosh, Tangail. Among others Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President IFC Bangladesh, Engineer Dr. S. I. Khan, Senior Vice-President, Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary, IFC Bangladesh and Bulbul Khan Mahbub, President, Tangail Comittee IFC Bangladesh were present.
2006 June 3             A representative meeting was held by the Post Jamuna rally participants, at Darbar Hall, Santosh, Tangail. Among others Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President IFC Bangladesh, Engineer Dr. S. I. Khan, Senior Vice-President, Syed Irfanul Bari, General Secretary, IFC Bangladesh and Bulbul Khan Mahbub, President, Tangail Comittee IFC Bangladesh were present.
Nevertheless, the International Farakka Committee INC. N. Y. is relentlessly working to achieve the goal for getting proper share of water from all the international rivers according to the international conventions laid by United Nations.

2006 August 9-10     IFC organized an international conference on ‘Trans-boundary water issues: South Asian cooperation’, at the Local Government Engineering Department, Agargaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Experts from India, Nepal, China, Japan and Bangladesh participated as resource person in this conference. Prominent leaders of political parties and leaders of opinion also joined the conference and contributed ideas for such an important issue.

2009 July 18            A day long conference was organized by IFC on Tran boundary rivers with special reference to Tipaimukh Dam at National Press Club, Dhaka.

2010 July 14            IFC organized a conference on water problems of Bangladesh: National and regional perspectives at National Press Club, Dhaka.

23-25 APRIL 2011 IFC organized a INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF HIMALAYAN RIVERS
DHAKA, BANGLADESH