Start talks for integrated management of transboundary water: IFC

Devastating floods in Kurigram

Dhaka, June 23: The current floods, called the worst in the last two decades, have caught the people of northeastern and northern districts of Bangladesh unprepared inflicting extensive damage to their life and property. The International Farakka Committee believes that unplanned development activities both in Meghalaya and Assam in India and the Sylhet region in Bangladesh are the main factors that have turned the floods into a cataclysmic disaster in Bangladesh.

The worst affected districts are Sunamganj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Netrokona, Kurigram, and Habiganj. Kishoreganj has also been affected as recently constructed structures blocked the discharge of flood water. Development activities at upstream increased the velocity of runoff of rainwater which crossed into Bangladesh with a great force and in a large volume. Haphazardly constructed embankments inside Bangladesh again obstructed the flow of the water and thus worsened the floods.

All this is the outcome of the lack of integrated transboundary water management. Clearly the damages could have been minimized if unsustainable development activities were not carried out. The Dhaka-Delhi joint consultative body which was in session in New Delhi called for strengthening cooperation in the water sector. Such a statement should have better come from the Joint Rivers Commission which has not been functioning. The flash floods in water hungry Bangladesh has come as a colossal disaster.

Apart from dozens of barrages on rivers in the Assam region, all the 27 rivers that feed the Barak-Meghna river system in Bangladesh have been embanked. As a result for more than a decade now the Meghna river system does not overflow their banks and their huge floodplains in the Sylhet-Cumilla region remain dry throughout the year.  Deprived of normal flow the rivers have formed shoals, become shallow and lost their water conveyance capacities. This is the main reason behind the exacerbation of floods.

To avoid such sad experiences in the future, our government should immediately take an initiative to start talks with its counterpart in India for sustainable management of all transboundary rivers to keep them alive from their points of origin to the sea, and thus further strengthen the relations between the two countries. IFC urges all patriotic people to join efforts to reach emergency help to help the flood affected people stand back on their feet.

The signatories to the statement were: Atiqur Rahman Salu, chairman, Sayed Tipu Sultan, secretary general, International Farakka Committee, New York, Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, president, Dr. SI Khan, senior vice-president, Syed Irfanul Bari, general secretary, IFC Bangladesh and IFC coordinator Mostafa Kamal Majumder.