India has finally floated international tender for construction of the much-talked-about 1,500 megawatt Tipaimukh Hydro Electric (multipurpose) Project at the confluence of the Barak and Tuivai rivers in its eastern state of Manipur amidst heightened fears in the lower riparian Bangladesh about its impact on water flow to the Meghna river system.
The Barak feeds the Surma and Kushiyara in Sylhet that flow into the Meghna, one of the three major rivers in Bangladesh.
India had earlier promised to provide Bangladesh with the detailed project report (DPR) of Tipaimukh before going for its
implementation to dispel the lower riparian neighbour's concern about possible diversion of water from the Barak.
It made the pledge at the last Indo-Bangla Joint Rivers Commission (JRC)meeting held in Dhaka in September last year.
But the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd (NEEPCO), a public sector enterprise under the Indian ministry of power, has meanwhile completed the DPR and started sale of tender papers yesterday for construction of the Rs 6,351 crore Tipaimukh project in 78 months.
According to the NEEPCO's bid announcement, the last date for sale of tender documents is
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February 15 and that for submission of those is April 3. On completion of the tender process, India plans to complete its largest hydropower project by 2012.
Experts said under the project, India would build one of the world's highest 'Rock Fill Dam' (162.80 metres high) to harness the Barak waters for generating electricity.
Though Tipaimukh is a multipurpose project, it is not clear if it includes an irrigation component, as envisaged earlier.
When contacted, JRC Member Tauhidul Anwar Khan said yesterday he is aware of India's floating of international tender for the project. He however mentioned that New Delhi has been consistently assuring and reassuring Bangladesh of no diversion of water from the upstream of the Meghna.
He declined to comment on possibilities of retaining scanty Barak water within the proposed dam during dry season and releasing huge volumes of water from Tipaimukh point during monsoon.
"We're looking forward to raising various issues at the next JRC meeting. Tipaimukh is very much on the JRC agenda," Tauhid added.
Water Resources Minister Hafizuddin Ahmed had earlier said Bangladesh had fears about Tipaimukh project as the Barak is a feeder for the Surma, Kushiyara and Meghna. But India gave assurance that it would not build any barrage there and would not divert the Barak waters.
At the last JRC meet in Dhaka, the then Indian water resources minister and JRC Co-chairman Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had said, "we'll present Tipaimukh's planned design to Bangladesh when it is prepared."
Dasmunsi had also assured of not constructing the planned barrage that comes under Tipaimukh project package at Phulertal, 100 km downstream of Tipaimukh and 100 km upstream of Amalshid, Sylhet.
Phulertal barrage would have direct bearings on the Surma, Kushiyara and Meghna due to diversion of water for irrigation purposes in northeastern India. Regarding the hydropower component and rock fill dam, India claims no damage to Bangladesh but Bangladesh fears water flow regulation in the upstream.
Since the last JRC meet, India has changes in its water resources ministry twice as the portfolio went to Santosh Mohan from Dasmunsi and then to Saifuddin Soj from Santosh last week.
In the process, there is no response as yet to the Bangladesh water resources minister's December 15 letter asking his Indian counterpart for a joint visit to common river sites, as decided at the last JRC meet.
"Construction of the proposed high dam in a very geologically sensitive zone above the long recognised Taithu Fault line will only serve to provoke frequent and major earthquakes inviting a major tsunami-like disaster and endangering the lives, land and forest of both India and Bangladesh," reads a Dhaka Declaration, adopted at the International Tipaimukh Dam Conference (ITDC-2005) in Dhaka held on December 30-31 with partici-
pants (academics, rights activists and experts) from both India and Bangladesh expressing deep concern.
"The Tipaimukh project was entirely developed and approved without once informing the government of Bangladesh or involving its people in any meaningful exercise to assess the downstream impacts of the dam," says a report prepared by Action AID Bangladesh.