A parliamentary panel on Friday recommended immediate appointment of an after discussions with all concerned, to study possible impacts of India’s planned Tipaimukh dam on Bangladesh. ‘We have suggested immediate formation of the expert panel to examine the possible impact of the dam on Bangladesh,’ chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on water resources ministry, Abdur Razzak, said after a meeting.

Razzak, who had led a 10-member delegation to New Delhi and the project site as well in late July, earlier submitted a report to the parliament on the visit suggesting formation of an expert panel although the Indian authorities had assured the delegation that no scheme would be undertaken which could harm Bangladesh. After the visit, the delegation placed a draft report to the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and suggested constitution of a panel. But the expert panel is yet to be formed.

In his report, the committee chairman noted that a joint study on the proposed project’s impact was agreed to 31 years ago by both India and Bangladesh at a meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission. But it never came into reality although the Indian authorities in 1977 started examining possible impact of the dam planned for tackling floods in north-eastern India and conducted a number of studies.

Razzak regretted Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s refusal to accompany the parliamentary delegation saying that the opposition could have contributed a lot had they been in the team. He called upon the opposition lawmakers to join parliament and vent their concerns. The opposition BNP earlier asked the Indian government to scrap the project as water experts in Bangladesh fear desertification in the country’s north-western part if the dam is constructed on Barak river which feeds Surma and Kushiyara downstream.

The meeting, attended by the water resources minister, Roy Ramesh Chandra Sen, committee members ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Mohammad Abdur Rahman, AKM Fazlul Haque, Mohammad Zakir Hossain, Abdullah Al Islam Jacob and ABM Anwarul Haque, also asked the government to take steps to improve irrigation system across Bangladesh by timely implementation of the on-going projects. It discussed the progress of work of Jahazmara cross dam on Nijhum Dwip and Sureshwar project, and progress of the reconstruction work of roads and cross dams in the south-western areas hit by cyclone Aila. The committee asked the authorities concerned to complete the rehabilitation projects, undertaken after the cyclone, well before the March 30 dateline.

-New Age