What is the power of a blog? What changes can a blog bring? Do bloggers love their country? What price are they willing to pay for that love? Are they brave enough?I am frustrated. I am frustrated because at this moment I am not being able to do anything but to write. Will writing solve this great problem of ours? Will writing solve any problem of ours?
After the project of Farakka Dam, India is starting another similar project which is equally (if not more) dangerous for the ecology and Bangladesh. India has taken Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Project in hand. It involves creating a dam in an international river- Barak, in the state of Manipur, just 200 km away from the Bangladesh border. According to international laws, without the permission of the downstream river nation, one country can not control the flow of a multination river. But it is very sad that India cares little about what Bangladesh has to say about this issue. They proceeded with their plans without even consulting Bangladesh.
E-Pao lists the consequences of building this dam in this location:
1. A total land of 826.20 sq. km will be submerged for ever.If India builds the dam on the River Barak, the water-flow of the River Meghna in Bangladesh will be hampered in a great deal. This will dry up 350 km long Shurma and 110 km long Kushiara River. As a result the north eastern Bangladesh will face severe environmental and economical consequences. It is considered that Sylhet, which is full of flora and fauna, will turn into a desert if this dam is built. Thousands of people and many organizations form the both countries are protesting against this project as it is a great threat to the ecology. Another thing to know is that there had been major earthquakes (8+) in the last 50 years on the location of the dam. But Indian government is going ahead with this project as they planned.
2. More than 40,000 people will be rendered landless.
3. Eight villages situated at the Barak Valley will be completely underwater.
4. About 27,242 hectares of cultivable land will be lost.
5. Increase in salinity of ground water will be unsafe for drinking thereby causing a lot of problems to the people.
6. Many more at the E-Pao site.
As bloggers the minimum thing to do is to write posts about this issue and create a mass protest against it. I invite all the bloggers across the world especially in Bangladesh and India to raise their voice against this injustice. Let’s fight legally to save the thousands of people, their lands and the environment.
What can we do as bloggers, readers and responsible persons?
1. Write a blog post. If you write a post about this issue I’ll be happy to read your post and link back to some posts.
2. Sign an online petition.
3. Join the Facebook group on this issue.
4. Any suggestions?
these badges can be used in blog posts
If you liked this post and think that more people should know about this, share this post with others by digging, stumbling and retweeting. You can also subscribe to this blog’s feed and stay connected.
Further reading (outside links):
No to Tipaimukh Dam
Damned Hearings of Proposed Tipaimukh Dam
Amra Tipaimukh Badher Biruddhe (bangla blog)
This is not a bad idea. In fact the Hmar tribe(to which i'm from) are to be directely affected by Tipaimukh dam. Bangladesh indeed will get lesser water but life won't change much there as projected by 'experts'.
ReplyDeleteThe Hmar tribe's interest is much more than any country or organisations.This is because the community would be deprived of their large chunks of land which they have been cultivating for many many years. Whether the community supports this project or not is still not clear. Some militants from the Hmar tribe have raised their objections to the project, but they said they will permit the govt of India to go ahead if a Hmar State or Districts are created in some of the North eastern states.
@Alert, i guess the experts are wrong in this matter too.
ReplyDeletei really hope that we act side by side legally for perusing/forcing indian government to abandon this project.
I am strongly against this DAM. Help! Save us!
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to blame India because its the larger and more powerful country in the region but one must blame someone on the basis of facts and not on the basis of the power it holds.
ReplyDeleteThe Bangladeshis have Islamist groups which operate in India's northeast, the states of Assam and Tripura, they even help insurgents in India's northeast.
While there will be enough Bangladeshis to refute this, but considering UN Documents, American Congressional Documents, India own Intelligence Documents, and the increasing usage of Bangladeshi soil to foment trouble in India is of grave concern.
The Bangladeshis can always howl and cry and tell the world that since they're smaller and weaker, they are being marauded like this, but FACTS CAN NEVER BE IGNORED, AND A JUST DECISION IS ALWAYS MADE ON THE BASIS OF CONCRETE FACTS AND LOGIC
While the Bangladeshis howl and cry over Tipaimukh, they wont accept that there are Militant Organizations on Bangladeshi soil that work against India. The dam should be built and it will be built.
The Bangladeshis entertain the Chinese and the ISI against India. So why should India not do what its doing. India must go ahead with the dam because even after years of trying hard, the Bangladeshis dont listen, so when someone doesnt listen, he should be made to listen.
We can continue this argument for hours, but i decide not to, even though it's really hard for me to stay quite.
ReplyDeleteWe, the bangladeshis, are not as stupid as you think.
Farakka DAM is Barrage,that can divert,stop,regulate flow at its upstream.
ReplyDeleteThis one is hydropower dam,they have to discharge water hydropower(electricticity)to rotate turbine,thereby maintain a certain level of water at downstream for fall flow.
Are the Indians also using this one as barrage,is it possible for them to do that at such location?
As Layman,most fearuful/scaring to me creating major disturbance to epicentre(8+ rector tremor recorded)possibly due to excessive weight of this DAM.Can any one make some kinda realistic simulated model showing its pictorial/Aerial location,wareflow,possible earth quake.
We have experts to develope this and we can circulate globally all corners of world.
Since our brothers from patriot Sylhet groups(firsthand effected community) are most influencial specially in UK/House of Commons,they can promote this to British MPs Medias that will create good impact,I believe.
For an objective analysis based on the Indian EIA report on Tipaimukh dam, and a thorough study of the downstream ecology, I would suggest this Daily Star piece.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2009/07/02/cover.htm
http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2009/07/04/followup.htm
ReplyDeleteGood article that nicely sums up the scientific data.
Thanks for the links. I am going through them right now.
ReplyDeletenice blog and have lots of stuff here......
ReplyDeletehttp://www.envrionment.blogspot.com
Hello I want to congratulate to them by its site of the Web of the excellent looks like entertained and very good very to me it elaborated. I invite them to that they explore a little on my Web site.
ReplyDelete