In the wake of India's unilateral decision to divert waters of international rivers flowing through India and Bangladesh, water experts have warned that this would spell disaster far greater than that caused by Farakka Barrage.

Diversion of water of the major

rivers common to the two countries by building link-canals would do no good to Bangladesh, the experts observed at the publication ceremony of National Documentation on the Problems of Arsenic and Farakka at a city hotel yesterday.

They underscored the need for political consensus and creating public awareness to address the

country's water crisis.

"Both Farakka barrage and arsenic are greatly responsible for our people's suffering," said Prof. Amjad Hossain, a Bangladeshi water resources expert working with the International Farakka Committee Inc. (NY).

Documentation editorial board

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member Prof. Syed Shafiullah said, "Farakka barrage is a death trap not only for Bangladesh, it has brought about disaster in Indian states of West Bengal and Bihar too."

Journalist Shafik Rehman said it was dreadful for Bangladesh that India is unilaterally going to divert water flow into Bangladesh from 54 rivers including the Ganges. He drew attention of the audience to a report headlined "Water wars loom as India presses on with plea to divert rivers vital for Bangladesh" run in the Guardian on July 24 by its Environmental Editor John Vidal.

Water Resources Minster Hafizuddin Ahmed said Bangladesh receives 65 per cent of its total water from the river Brahmaputra. It is really distressing that India plans to withdraw water from such shared rivers, building link-canals.

"We hope democratic India will take no step jeopardising the very existence of lower riparian Bangladesh, showing respect to the UN convention," he said.

Local Government and Rural Development Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said Farakka treaty is a tricky deal as it takes into account the amount of water only at the Farakka point. It has no provision for arbitration and it contains no clause compelling the upper riparian country to equally share water.

"We have to form public opinion that Farakka barrage is a step in violation of human right to fresh water," he said.

Workers Party leader Rashed Khan Menon said, "We often agitate against such issues only to serve political interest, not to resolve them."