ID :
13635
Thu, 07/24/2008 - 10:35
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/13635
The shortlink copeid
Call for new water management approach in South Asia
By Faruque Ahmed KANDY, Sri Lanka, July 24 (BSS)- The South Asian Policy Forum has called for a new water management approach in the region taking the 'rivers as a whole' from their sources while planningriver basin management.
"Water is going to be scare in the region soon and we should not waste time to find regional solution to water sharing," Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman as a panelist told a meeting of the Forum heretoday.
He said the modality of basin-wise water management has already been worked out by experts, the problem is that the administrative establishments of the countries concerned are notpaying heed to it.
Senators, lawmakers, political leaders, academia, journalists and representatives of various civil society forums from SAARC member states are taking part in the meeting under the auspices of `Imagine a New South Asia' ActionAid International and local Peradinya University areorganizing it.
Referring to water disputes between India and Bangladesh on the Ganges river, India and Nepal on the Muhakhali river and India and Pakistan on Mongla Dam, the discussants said these are common property of the region and one should not treat them astransboundary issues.
Former Awami League MP Dr Abdur Razzak raised the issue of Tipaimukh dam now being implemented by India and said it threatens to dry half of Bangladesh on both sides of the Meghnabasin.
He said India should be barred from creating such ecologicaldisaster for its neighbours.
Ruhul Kabir Rezvi of BNP, journalist Nurul Kabir and NawajishAli Khan are taking part in the three-day event, among others.
The discussants are trying to map out the future of the region which should be borderless and visa-free built on thebasis of a `People's Union of South Asia'.
One discussant said Nepal alone has 6,000 small and big rivers flowing downstream and all the countries in the lowerbasin should have equal right on this water.
BSS/1320gmt
"Water is going to be scare in the region soon and we should not waste time to find regional solution to water sharing," Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman as a panelist told a meeting of the Forum heretoday.
He said the modality of basin-wise water management has already been worked out by experts, the problem is that the administrative establishments of the countries concerned are notpaying heed to it.
Senators, lawmakers, political leaders, academia, journalists and representatives of various civil society forums from SAARC member states are taking part in the meeting under the auspices of `Imagine a New South Asia' ActionAid International and local Peradinya University areorganizing it.
Referring to water disputes between India and Bangladesh on the Ganges river, India and Nepal on the Muhakhali river and India and Pakistan on Mongla Dam, the discussants said these are common property of the region and one should not treat them astransboundary issues.
Former Awami League MP Dr Abdur Razzak raised the issue of Tipaimukh dam now being implemented by India and said it threatens to dry half of Bangladesh on both sides of the Meghnabasin.
He said India should be barred from creating such ecologicaldisaster for its neighbours.
Ruhul Kabir Rezvi of BNP, journalist Nurul Kabir and NawajishAli Khan are taking part in the three-day event, among others.
The discussants are trying to map out the future of the region which should be borderless and visa-free built on thebasis of a `People's Union of South Asia'.
One discussant said Nepal alone has 6,000 small and big rivers flowing downstream and all the countries in the lowerbasin should have equal right on this water.
BSS/1320gmt
