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To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Tue, 14 Aug 2007 10:34:41
+0600Subject: [WaterWatch] Is India a victim of its own policy?
Is India a victim of its own policy?Harun ur Rashid, The Daily Star, August 14,
2007http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/08/14/d70814020334.htmUnilateral water
diversion, or withdrawal of water from internationalor common rivers, has been
the long-standing policy of India. Indiabothered little about the concerns of a
lower riparian country, suchas Bangladesh, in diverting water from common
rivers.In 1896, the "Harmon Doctrine" was propounded by the US AttorneyGeneral
Judson Harmon, claiming that Mexico was not entitled to thewater from an
international river, the Rio Grande.The doctrine emphasised territorial
sovereignty over an internationalriver. It means that, within its territory, a
state can do whatever itwishes with the water of an international river, and
does not need tobother about the consequences of its withdrawal on a lower
ripariannation.India argued in favour of the Harmon Doctrine in the mid-70s
withBangladesh (I was Director General of South Asia), though the USitself had
discarded and discredited it in 1906 when it concluded atreaty with Mexico
relating to sharing of water of the Rio Grande.When India argued the relevance
of the Harmon Doctrine in the '70s,Bangladesh counter-argued that the "Helsinki
Principles", which wouldentitle a co-riparian of a reasonable and equitable
share of water ofan international/common river or drainage basin, had replaced
it in1966.Use of river waterThe use of river water is of two types --
non-consumptive andconsumptive. Navigation is a non-consumptive use of water
becauseriver water is not depleted or reduced through navigation.
Consumptiveuse of water consists of withdrawing water for agricultural and
otherpurposes. Consumptive use always reduces the water in rivers.A river knows
no political boundaries between countries. It flows asan indivisible unit, and
if it is interfered with at the upper stream,the lower riparian country will be
affected. That is why internationallaw recognizes the right of each riparian
country to enjoy all theadvantages deriving from river waters for the welfare
and economicprosperity of its people.At least 56 rivers flow from India into
Bangladesh. The largest ofthem, the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna
(GBM), flow throughBangladesh until they meet the Bay of Bengal, creating one
of thebiggest deltas in the world. It is estimated that 25,000 square
mileswithin Bangladesh can be designated as a delta, an area equal toBelgium
and the Netherlands together.Bangladesh is a land of rivers, and swimming has
been the birth-rightof all Bangladeshi children. Rivers have been the lifeline
of thepeople of Bangladesh, although in the monsoon season they often
causefloods. Without monsoon rain and the rivers, Bangladesh's environment,and
its cultural tradition, music, and folk tales based on rivers,will
die.Agriculture is the backbone of the country, and 76% of the people livein
villages. Water plays the most vital role in the country's economy.85% percent
of the water comes from the Ganges and the Brahmaputraduring the dry season
(November to May).Millions of people are directly or indirectly dependent on
river waterfor their livelihood. Water is vital for agriculture, fishery, and
theflora and fauna, and constitutes an indivisible part of
people'slives.Depletion of water in rivers puts Bangladesh in a very
criticalsituation, especially in navigation, agriculture, and way of
life.Farmers, fishermen, and the forests, are all adversely affected
bydepletion of water in rivers.Water dispute and BangladeshThe unilateral
withdrawal of water from the upper reaches by India hasbeen a concern for
Bangladesh. If India withdraws water heavily fromcommon or international
rivers, such as the Ganges and theBrahmaputra, there will be less available in
Bangladesh. This isobvious.The water dispute with India has been going on since
the birth ofBangladesh. It started with India's ill-conceived Farakka Barrage
onthe Ganges (11 miles from Bangladesh's border), for diverting waterfrom the
Hoogly river for flushing silt, not for agriculture.India's pre-occupation has
been how to divert water from common riverswithout sharing information, or
consulting, with Bangladesh. Forexample, information regarding the storage of
water of the Barakriver, by building the 1,500 MW Tipaimukh hydroelectric dam,
has yetto be shared with Bangladesh.India has embarked on constructing dams on,
and diverting water from,many common rivers, such as the Teesta, the Gumti, and
the Khowai,without any agreement with Bangladesh. India had reportedly
blocked-ofstreams (such as Muhuri, Chagalnaiya, Fulchari, Kachua and
manyothers) flowing into Bangladesh from Tripura. As a result, as of 1979,eight
chars (islets) were detected in the tributaries of Muhuri andKahua, and they
have blocked water flow in Bangladesh.Since these rivers are in India, it did
not care to discuss, consult,or come to an agreement with Bangladesh on the
blockage or diversionor consumptive use of the water, although a Joint River
Commission hadbeen formed in 1972.China's proposed diversion of waterAccording
to a report by an Indian writer, China is attempting to damor redirect the
southward flow of water from the Tibetan plateau, thestarting point of many
rivers, such as the Indus, the Mekong, theYangtze, the Yellow, the Salween, the
Brahmaputra, the Karnali and theSutlej.According to the same writer, China's
intensive farming needs water,and it is increasingly turning its attention to
the water reserves ofthe Tibetan plateau. China is presently toying with
massiveinter-basin and inter-river water transfer projects.Furthermore, several
Chinese projects in west-central Tibet have abearing on river-water flow into
India, but China refuses to shareinformation with India. The same tactics India
adopted with Bangladeshare now likely to bite India.The writer also pointed out
two Chinese projects that might affectIndia adversely. One is the proposed
Great South-North Water Transferproject for diverting Tibetan water, and the
first phase calls forbuilding 300-kilometres of tunnels and channels to draw
water from theJingsha, the Yalong and the Dadu rivers on the eastern rim of
theTibetan plateau.The second phase of the project is more damaging, because it
proposesto re-route the Brahmaputra river northward. In fact, the writerpoints
out that China has identified the bend where the Brahmaputraenters India.India
does not seem to have considered that the Chinese water expertsand hydrologists
may have acquired the technology by which the Tibetanplateau waters could be
re-routed northward towards China.Now India has woken up. China is reportedly
doing the same thing thatIndia did with its rivers in relation to Bangladesh.
China does notfind it necessary to consult, discuss, and sit down with India
aboutthe proposed diversion of waters from the Tibetan Plateau. Therecannot be
one rule for India and China, and another for India andBangladesh.There is
another, wider, dimension on availability of fresh water. Theincreased demand
for fresh water has prompted the construction of damsand barrages on
international rivers, and it is reported that 60% ofthe world's largest rivers
have been interrupted by the artificialstructures. Many of them were built in
agreement with ripariancountries, and about 200 treaties are now in force for
the managementof common water resources.Fresh water is getting scarce according
to a Unesco study. The averagesupply of water is expected to drop by one-third
within 20 years.Unesco points out that up to 7 billion people could face
watershortages by 2020, and global warming may cause severe water shortagesin
50 countries. South Asia is one of the regions to be adverselyaffected, partly
because of melting of the Himalayan glaciers due toglobal warming.Water experts
believe that water disputes on intra-state andinter-state level may increase in
future. It is the potentialinter-state conflict over river water resources that
may be of greaterconcern.Barrister Harun ur Rashid is former Bangladesh
Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.-- zakir kibriaExecutive Director, BanglaPraxisand
Co-ordinator, Solidarity Workshop__._,_.___
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