Farakka Barrage hurting both countries
The Farakka Barrage is causing damage to both Bangladesh and India, Adviser to the Prime Minister Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said on Saturday.
He made the remarks while presiding over a discussion organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party marking the historic Farakka Day.
Rizvi stressed the importance of remembering the significance of the Farakka Long March Day observed on May 16, 1976 and passing its history on to younger generations.
“The history is gradually being forgotten and said future generations may lose awareness of the event if efforts are not made to preserve its importance,” he said.
He also said BNP had earlier issued statements marking Farakka Day but this year the party has organised a larger-scale discussion involving experts and resource persons so that party leaders and activists connected to nationalist politics could better understand the issue.
“We want good relations with all neighbouring countries but those relations must be based on dignity and mutual respect,” he said.
Questioning the necessity of the Farakka Barrage, Rizvi referred to Indian engineer Kapil Bhattacharya who had warned decades ago about the harmful impacts of the project.
“He said the Farakka Barrage would bring disaster. He protested against it and at one stage reportedly even resigned over the issue,” Rizvi said.
He alleged that Indian policymakers ignored such warnings.
Rizvi also referred to statements by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had reportedly called for dismantling the Farakka Barrage due to its adverse effects inside India.
“Bihar is facing untimely floods and severe environmental problems because of the barrage,” he said.
He further mentioned environmental activists Medha Patkar and Himanshu Thakkar as among those who had criticised the Farakka project and warned about its long-term consequences for India itself.
Rizvi questioned whether maintaining navigability at Kolkata Port justified causing environmental and ecological damage to Bangladesh.
“You claim Bangladesh is your friend and that you supported its Liberation War. But within just a few years, you built a Dam on the Ganges that caused devastating ecological consequences for Bangladesh,” he said.
He said the effects of reduced river flow had contributed to salinity intrusion, environmental degradation and arsenic contamination in groundwater in parts of Rajshahi, Rangpur, Pabna, Sirajganj, Kushtia and Jessore regions.
Referring to river management practices in the United States, Rizvi said many dams there had been removed to restore natural river flows.
“If you block the mouth of a river and divert its natural course, the river will ultimately die. In the end, nobody benefits, not even India,” he said.
