Tipaimukh Dam Controversy

What is Tipaimukh Dam?

1. Tipaimukh Dam is a proposed Hydroelectric project which is going to be built on Barak River in Manipur.
2. India is planning to built this dam which is just 100km off the Bangladesh border.
3. Bangladesh says that this will affect its two major rivers Surma and the Kushiara.
4. The project has been cleared by the Manipur Government and is waiting for approval of CCEA.

Why to build a dam?
This dam was planned to contain the flood waters in the lower Barak Valley. Hydro Power Generation was also added in this project later. National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC)is developing the Rs.81.38 billion ($1.7-billion) hydel project to generate 1,500 MW of power.

What is Bangladesh’s Point?

1. The experts in Bangladesh say that this may affect the seasonal rhythm of the river and have an adverse effect on downstream agriculture and fisheries of Bangladesh.
2. A team had come from bangladesh to New Delhi which was led by Water Resource Minister of Bangladesh Abdur Razzak.
3. The team visited Tipaimukh dam on July 31, 2009.

What is India’s Point?

1. India says that this project would regulate excess water, control floods in Sylhet district of Bangladesh, western Manipur and southern Assam.
2. The dam will open a new waterway from Haldia port in West Bengal to northeast India via Bangladesh
3. This dam will lead to the development of two national highways – NH 53 and NH 150 – thus improving the connectivity among Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
4. Water which will be used for generating electricity will be released back into the river.
5. India would not build any barrage or structures for stopping water flowing downstream.

The following three organizations have also protested the dam.
Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD),
Committee on Land and Natural Resources (COLNAR)
Action Against the Tipaimukh Dam Project (ACTIP).
Current Situation:
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni will come to India early next month (September 2009) to discuss the Tipaimukh dam issue and to follow up on assurances given to a parliamentary delegation that went to study the site.

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