The Hindu : Bangladesh makes an issue of India's river-linking plan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2003

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Bangladesh makes an issue of India's river-linking plan

By Gargi Parsai

New Delhi Sept. 29. Bangladesh today made an issue of India's proposed project for inter-linking its rivers during the 35th Joint Rivers Commission talks that began here today. While allaying Bangladesh's apprehension over the plan, India agreed to include it in the discussion as a ``miscellaneous item''.

Despite India's assertion that the project was only at a ``conceptual stage'' and any linking of the common rivers would be under international norms, Bangladesh sought to be associated with every phase and the decision-making process as a co-riparian State. The issue might come up for discussion tomorrow, as talks were ``inconclusive'' today.

India shares 54 rivers with Bangladesh, of which nine are under discussion. The two neighbours had signed a Ganga Water Sharing Treaty in 1996.

The leader of the Indian delegation, the Union Water Resources Minister, Arjun Charan Sethi, told reporters after his Bangladesh counterpart, Hafizuddin Ahmad, had a one-to-one meeting with him in the morning that the fears expressed in the Bangladesh media over the programme on river-linking were ``imaginary''. He said the focus of the meeting could not be the inter-linking programme.

Mr. Ahmad said that sharing of the waters of common rivers the world over was a complicated issue but, given the good relationship between the two countries, a solution could be reached through discussions.

Later addressing the media jointly after the four hour-long meeting, both the Ministers said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere of ``give and take'' and an agenda was adopted unanimously.

The Bangladesh Minister, however, pointed out that the joint meeting was held after a gap of two years and nine months, whereas the meetings should be biannual.

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