Speakers at a discussion yesterday said the country's waterways would decrease significantly if the proposed Tipaimukh dam is constructed, as its consequences would result in loss of navigability of rivers.
They called on the government to settle the problems with India through talks regarding water sharing in all the joint rivers on which India has built large or small dams.
They said this at the discussion on the probable impacts of Tipaimukh Dam in the country's rivers and waterways organised by MN Creations at the National Press Club in the city yesterday.
Owners of launches, oil tankers and river experts participated in the discussion.
Senior Vice-President of Bangladesh Inland Waterways (passenger carriers) Md Badiuzzaman Badal said Tipaimukh dam would result in significant loss of our waterways, adding that the government needs to sit with its Indian counterparts to solve the water-sharing problems with the neighbouring country.
“Not only the Tipaimukh dam is posing a threat to our rivers, but also many other small dams have been built over different common rivers,” he said.
“Rivers have been the lifelines of our economy for decades, but our governments have hardly paid any attention to the development of waterways,” Badal added.
Dr Ataur Rahman of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) in his presentation said the result would not be good if the proposed Tipaimukh Dam be built.
He said the navigability of rivers might decrease and, as a result, the salinity in the rivers increase and there would be a threat to the ecosystem in haors (water bodies) of Sylhet region.
The speakers said the countrymen should be given the exact information about the probable impacts of Tipaimukh dam and both India and Bangladesh should conduct a joint study on the environmental impacts.
Golam Kibria Tipu, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on shipping ministry, and Dr Shahriar Iqbal, associate professor of Buet, were also present.
No comments:
Post a Comment