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Bangladesh blames India for desertification

DHAKA SEPT. 22. Bangladesh said today that withdrawal of water by upper riparian countries — an indirect reference to India — was degrading its vast areas of land and worsening the poverty.

"Unilateral withdrawal of water by upper riparian countries makes the poverty situation in the lower riparian (Bangladesh) worse," the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, told the Asia-Pacific regional consultation workshop on water and poverty, a conference of about 24 countries including India.

She said that 92 per cent of the catchment areas of the rivers flowing through Bangladesh lay "outside the territory of the country" and was the "main reason" for the "deadly menace of floods" and desertification.

Begum Khaleda said her Government was considering approval of a national water management plan. However, as a lower riparian country, "Bangladesh alone cannot develop its water resources". Without mentioning India, she said: "As such, we always attach importance of regional cooperation".

PTI

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