Tipaimukh Dam Presentation By Nargis

Protect people and nature from controversial Tipaimukh Dam Dr Nargis A Banu Environmental Scientist (email: [email protected])

Introduction: Bangladesh is the lowest riparian country of more than 53 trans-boundary rivers that sustain the life and living of millions of downstream Bangladeshis. Four-fifth of Bangladesh is made up of the combined delta of Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna and Barak river system - one of the largest river basins in the world. India has 400 storage dams of various sizes and the major reservoirs have a total capacity of 2221 billion cubic feet. Upstream diversion due to Farakka Barrage on the Ganges River flows in India has adversely affected the hydrology, river morphology, agriculture, domestic and municipal water supply, fishery, forestry, wildlife, industry, navigation, public health and biodiversity in north-western districts of Bangladesh. Now India has started another interventions on the International River Barak at Tiapimukh village and will construct a dam at Fulertal (100 km downstream from Tipaimukh) by 2012. This dam construction was originally started in 2007 but had to postpone construction due to enormous protest by the surrounding villagers and pressure from international bodies. With the construction of Tipaimukh dam, India would be diverting Barak water flow from its north to its south and east, thereby putting Bangladesh under serious consequences. It will have multifarious adverse impacts on nature and livelihood in the north-eastern districts in Bangladesh. The River Barak feeds not only the Surma-Kushiyara Rivers (>600 km) in Sylhet Division, but that also flows into the Meghna River, one of the three major rivers in Bangladesh.

Dam at Tipaimukh: The proposed Tipaimukh dam is a 390 m long and 162.5m high earthen core rock filled dam at downstream of the confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers near Tipaimukh village in Manipur state of India (Figure 1). It is only 1km away from Bangladesh border. To produce an estimated 1,500 MW electric power, the dam will permanently submerge an area of 275.50 sq. km in India. The dam will establish a reservoir behind the dam that will catch water in the rainy season and release it in the dry season. A list of benefits such as high-class tourism, free power sharing, resettlement and rehabilitation package has been offered by the Indian project proponent (North East Electric Power Corporation, NEEPCO) to appease the people of Manipur state.

Bangladesh

The geology on Tipaimukh and its adjoining areas are basically made up of the Surma Group of rocks that are well characterised by folds and faults with regional strike. All these faults and fractures can cause localised shifting or deflection at the confluence Figure 1: Location of Tipaimukh Dam of Barak River and Tuivai river course. Such faults are potentially active and may be focal and/or epicentres of any future earthquake. The north-eastern part of India is one of the highest earthquake-prone areas in the world due to its tectonic setting. The Tipaimukh dam site has been identified at the highest risk seismically hazardous zone (Figure 2). Analysis of earthquake epicentres of Tipaimukh dam site reveals hundreds of earthquakes in the last 100-200 years. It is found that within 100km radius of Tipaimukh, 2 earthquakes of +7M magnitude have taken placed in the last 150 years and the last one being occurred in the year 1957 at an aerial distance of about 75km from the dam site. The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of India revealed that the design of the dam contains many errors, omissions, gaps, lacks in and short of compliance of standards set by the scientific and academic community in India and the world. Dr Nargis Banu 3rd July 2009

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As part of the project planning process, India conducted detailed studies, completed the final design and Environment Impact Statement (EIS) without consultation with Bangladesh as downstream key stakeholder. Indian government has not clearly stated the amounts of water that will be stopped or diverted by constructing of Tipaimukh dam despite having a water sharing agreement for the Ganges, but there are none for the other 53 common rivers indeed.

Dam area

Tipaimukh Dam - Impacts on people and nature of Bangladesh About 7 to 8 per cent of total water of Bangladesh is obtained through the river Barak to Surma-Kushyara river basins. Agriculture, irrigation navigation, drinking water supply, fisheries, wildlife in numerous haors (wetlands) and low lying areas in entire Sylhet division, some areas of Comilla and Mymensingh districts, and some peripheral areas of Dhaka division depends on this water. The river system also supports local industries like fertilizer, electricity, gas etc.

Figure 2: Seismically Hazardous Zone

Any interference in the normal flow of water in the Surma River in turn, feeds the River Meghna that flows through Bangladesh would be seriously affected. Along with the people of India, civil society groups, government and NGOs in Bangladesh have protested against the downstream impacts of Tipaimukh dam. The following adverse impacts on nature and livelihood in Bangladesh have been identified:

Flooding Pattern The erosion just downstream of the Tipaimukh Dam would be excessively high and this erosion would continue as long as hundred kilometers downstream or more in the Surma- Kushiyara River system. The probable deposition during late monsoon and post-monsoon season will raise the overall bed level of the rivers, and for an extreme case it would block the mouth of certain tributaries originating from the Kushiyara River. Bed level would rise and that will induce the average monsoon flood to become a moderate to sever flood in the floodplain of the Surma-Kushiyara. On the other hand, Sylhet and Moulvibazar district has unique natural monsoon-flooding pattern. During post-dam scenario, total 30,123 ha in Sylhet district and 5,220 ha inundated area in Moulvibazar would be reduced due to change of flooding pattern of that region. About 71% of the Upper Surma-Kushiyara basin area would no longer be flooded. The Kushyiara River would cut its connection with its right bank floodplain for around 65 km and this part will become ‘Reservoir River’; rather than a most valuable ‘Floodplain River’. The Kushiyara-Bardal haor (wetland) on the left bank of the Kushiyara River would become completely dry. The Kawardighi haor (wetland) would also lose around 2,979 ha (26%) of inundated areas of land.

Hydrology and Wetlands: The Tipaimukh dam would lead to hydrological drought and environmental degradation. According to the Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) - an autonomous research institute in Bangladesh, once the Tipaimukh dam is fully functional, average annual monsoon inflow from the Barak River to the Surma-Kushiyara-Meghna river system would be reduced around 10% for month June, 23% for month July, 16% for month August and 15% for month September. Water level would fall by more than 1 meter on average during the month July on the Kushiyara River and 0.75 meter on the Surma River. During relatively drier monsoon year, the dam would have more impact on the Dr Nargis Banu 3rd July 2009

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availability of monsoon water in the Barak-Surma-Kushiyara River than the average annual monsoon year.

Groundwater and Irrigation Millions of people are dependent on hundreds of water bodies fed by the Barak for agricultural activities. The dam would cause the Surma and Kushiara to run dry from November to May. This shortage of water in these few months would decrease the boost of groundwater. Over the years this would lower the groundwater level, which in turn would affect all dug outs and shallow tubewells. Agriculture dependent on both surface as well as groundwater, would also be affected. Arable land will decrease and production of crops will fall, leading to an increase in poverty.

Biodiversity and Ecology One of the most serious and least-studied consequences of large dams are the long-term health impacts due to drastic changes in the ecological balance, displacement and loss of livelihood and sudden alterations in the demographic character of the area. These factors have not been considered at all in the process of Tipaimukh project planning phase. It is a well-known fact that the construction of dams invariably destroys the natural riverine ecosystem. As a result, it affects the habitat of rare and endangered flora and fauna species in wetland. Construction of a high dam will obstructs the migratory path of fish and other aquatic fauna, prevents the exchange of micronutrients and silt between the upper and lower reaches of a river and has an overall adverse affect on the riverine food chain. Above impacts would destroy the natural integrity of the ecosystem, losing riverine habitat and species, and a lack of enrichment of land with the nutrient full silt. This would lead to the ultimate decline in the natural productivity of the two most abundant resources of Bangladesh - land and water.

Dam Break and Human Catastrophes A detailed study by the World Dam Commission published in 2000 states that the adverse impacts of any large dams are irreversible for the lower riparian region. A study on the trends of earthquakes reveals that they mostly take place in regions which have experienced earthquakes in the past. If the Tipaimukh Dam were to break, its ‘billions’ of impounded cubic metres of water will cause catastrophic floods because of its colossal structure. The faults and fractures around Tipaimukh dam axis belong to the category that may undergo strike-slip and extensional movements. If the dam axis is displaced by a few centimeters, serious damage may occur causing a dam disaster leading to huge loss of lives and property.

Water Quality The erosion and sedimentation just downstream of the Tipaimukh Dam would be excessively high and would continue as long as over 600 kilometers downstream in Bangladesh. This excessive erosion downstream of the dam would increase the overall siltation and water turbidity in the Surma- Kushiyara river system. These will adversely affects the water quality of the whole SurmaKushiyara-Meghna river system in Bangladesh.

Climate Change The Tipaimukh dam will permanently submerge an area of 275.50 sq. km in India. Tipaimukh dam will have warming impact due to methane degassing from the reservoir. Mass human displacement, land use change on macro and micro climate and carbon emissions of large dam construction itself is enough to reconsider constructing of Tipaimukh dam.

Violation of Laws and Agreement International rivers are naturally well designated and they flow through many countries. There are international rules and conventions that guide modes of sharing waters of such rivers between countries in the riparian regions. The UN International Water Management Convention 1997 adopted two key issues, in gist stated by two words - ‘no harm’ and the other ‘equitable sharing’. To elaborate the implications of the two set of terms, one can safely state that the upper riparian country must not do harm to lower riparian country by withdrawing or diverting normal natural flow

Dr Nargis Banu 3rd July 2009

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of water. If any such withdrawal and diversion is at all to be done, such mode must have prior sanction of the lower riparian country subject to the condition of mutually agreed equitable sharing. Under this convention, hiding any information by the upper riparian countries about the use of common rivers is considered as violation of the UN Convention. The International Convention on Joint River Water also states that without the consent of the downstream river nation, no single country alone can control the multi-nation rivers. But India does not care for these international laws despite being a signatory to this convention. The Tipaimukh Dam project was entirely developed and approved without informing the government of Bangladesh or involving its people in any meaningful exercise to assess the downstream impacts of the dam. Bangladesh was not invited to participate, fully and actively in the decision-making process as a key stakeholder. This is clearly a gross violation of co-riparian rights of Bangladesh. The unilateral construction of Tipaimukh dam by India on this international river Barak is a violation of UN Convention on the Law of Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses. At a Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting in September 2005, India formally assured Bangladesh that they would not divert any water for their irrigation project. If India constructs the dam without the consent of Bangladesh, it will also be violation of the article 9 of Bangladesh-India Ganges Water Sharing Treaty 1996. Interestingly, a dam across the Barak was first mooted in 1928. But after 87 years, India has failed to produce all the necessary data and research on the impacts of the dam on the people and the environment of both countries.

What Can Be Done Economists have estimated that Bangladesh will lose up to $32 billion in a year due to the Tipaimukh dam construction. Taking into account the above impacts and recently developing objections in the both countries, the following actions should be undertaken to reach an amicable solution of this dispute:
Indian government needs to undertake a fresh review despite advancing the dam construction works. Invite Bangladesh to take part in the whole decision making process before its too late.
India must provide access to all technical information (design, drawing, EIS) to Bangladesh to measure the total impacts of Tipaimukh dam on Bangladesh.
A joint team should be formed to study the adverse ecological and environmental impacts on both countries.
Bangladesh must ratify the UN Convention as soon as possible in order to take advantage and for it to be effective.
As the proposed site is one of the highest potential earthquake areas in the world, so impacts from its tectonic setting risk must need to be investigated seriously.
Draw international community’s (Asian Development Bank, World Bank, UNEP) attention to save our people and nature of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh government, political leaders, civil society bodies, environmentalists need to join under a common umbrella to stop India constructing the Tipaimukh dam.
The World Commission on Dams report has shown that Indian dams do more harm than help. Therefore, as per the report’s recommendation consider replacing dam-based hydroelectricity with a “run-of-the-river” type project.

Summary: Construction of the Tipaimukh Dam must STOP now until the experts from both countries undertaking further studies and investigations.

Sources: Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) - An autonomous research institute in Bangladesh. Zakir Kibria, The Case of Tipaimukh Dam in India and Concerns in Lower Riparian. Anna Pinto, Tipaimukh Dam likely to cause climatic change? Mohiuddin Alamgir India’s Tipaimukh dam: another Farakka for Bangladesh in the offing? The New Age Extra, 24 June 09. Dr. Soibam Ibotombi, Tipaimukh Dam Is A Geo-tectonic Blunder Of International Dimensions. Dept. of Earth Sciences, Manipur University. World Dam Commission Report 2000.

Dr Nargis Banu 3rd July 2009

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