Ershad urges India to conduct joint study on Tipai project

Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman and former President HM Ershad Thursday urged the Indian government to conduct a joint study to assess the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of Tipaimukh Dam project in the region before implementing it, reports UNB. "A joint study should be done to assess the impacts of Tipaimukh Dam project and its findings must be made public," he told a press conference at the party's Banani central office in the city Thursday. Jatiya Party organised the press conference ahead of their Long March to Sylhet, scheduled to be launched from the capital on December 10, in protest against Indian government's move to construct the Tipaimukh Dam on common river Baraka in Monipur, India. Jatiya Party secretary general Ruhul Amin Howlader and Commerce Minister GM Quader were present, among others, at the press conference. The JP Chairman said the people are now concerned that Sylhet region and haor areas in the country's northeast part would be hit hard by drought if the Tipaimukh Dam project is implemented as affected by The Farakka Barrage. He said if the joint study findings show that the project will not pose any environmental and socioeconomic impact to Bangladesh then India will have to guarantee through an international treaty that they will never withdraw water for irrigation in other areas.