DHAKA: Bangladesh environmentalists on Saturday warned that the ‘Indian Rivers Inter-link Project’ will not only hamper Bangladesh, also at least 10 provinces of India.

However, it is a proposed large-scale civil engineering project that aims to link India's rivers by a network of reservoirs and canals to reduce persistent floods in some of its parts and water shortages in other parts of India.

Speakers at a press conference, arranged by environmentalist organizations Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN) and Peoples SAARC Water Forum, made the warning at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in city.

The conference pressed the demand of scrapping the ‘rivers inter-link project’ as well as ensuring regional water management.

The speakers commented that the proposed project, based on fabricated information provided by the India scientists, will not only destroy the agriculture, economy and even the existence of Bangladesh, it will also incur massive destruction in at least 10 India provinces including West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal.

Eminent writer-researcher Syed Abul Maksud, engineer Enamul Huq, BAPA general secretary Dr Mohammad Abdul Motin, its joint-secretary Mihir Biswas, Initiative for People’s Development (IPD) chief executive Dr Mahmudur Rahman and Dhaka University geography and environment department professor M Shahidul Islam, among others, spoke at the conference.

BDST: 1850 HRS, JULY 25, 2015
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