Tipai will have no adverse impact on Bangladesh: India

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Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Tuesday said a 'Promoter's Agreement' on the Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Project was signed on October 22 to set up a Joint Venture Company (JVC) between the Manipur government, NHPC Limited and Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, reports UNB. In response to questions the official spokesperson of the MEA in New Delhi said: "We have seen reports in the Bangladesh media expressing concern over the Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Project." The spokesperson said that the JVC would be established under the name and style of "Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Corporation Limited" or any other name as approved by the concerned Registrar of companies. The spokesperson recalled that a 10-member Bangladesh parliamentary delegation led by Abdur Razzak, former water resources minister and current chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources, had visited India in July 2009 at the invitation of Indian government. "It had been clarified to the delegation that the proposed project was a hydro-electric project with provision to control floods and that this would not involve diversion of water on account of irrigation," the spokesperson said. Subsequently, the spokesperson also said that during the visit of Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina to India in January 2010, the Indian PM Manmohan Singh had reiterated the assurance that India would not take steps on the Tipaimukh project that would have adverse impact on Bangladesh. "The assurance was again reiterated during the visit of our PM to Bangladesh in September 2011," the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Tuesday expressed hope that the Indian government would share all relevant details of the proposed Tipaimukh Project in full transparency, as well as about any further steps that it may take in connection with the project. "This would be critical in avoiding any gap in understanding or to allay concerns in Bangladesh," a release of the Foreign Ministry said. It says Bangladesh, as a co-riparian country, would like to underscore the need for prior consultation before initiating any intervention on common rivers like the Barak. The release says the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to the recent press reports on the signing of a Promoters' Agreement concerning the proposed Tipaimukh Dam project, in the Indian State of Manipur, on River Barak. It says Dhaka has also noted the press briefing issued by the MEA of India Tuesday, which clarified that the proposed project is designed to be "a hydro-electric project with provision to control floods". As such, this project would not involve any diversion of water for irrigation purposes. In this context, the release says Bangladesh further takes note of the reiteration in the Indian press briefing that ".during the visit of Sheikh Hasina to India in January 2010, our Prime Minister had reiterated the assurance that India would not take steps on the Tipaimukh Project that would have adverse impact on Bangladesh. The assurance was again reiterated during the visit of our Prime Minister to Bangladesh in September 2011".