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River linking project

17 February 2005, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Iqbal Dept of Geography Env. University of Dhaka
17 February 2005, 18:00 PM
. PHOTO: AFP
Recently it has been widely reported in the media that India is going to implement the river linking project. It's a very grave issue for Bangladesh. Because, Bangladesh is a lower riparian of the common rivers shared by India. So, if India implements the river linking project, Bangladesh will be greatly affected in physical landscape. Almost every river of Bangladesh will lose its natural flow of water.

As a result, most of the cultivable land will turn into desert and obviously biodiversity will be threatened. Besides, the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, will be greatly damaged for lack of sweet water Because, mangrove forests depend on the rotation flow of salt and sweet water. Moreover, the environmentalists of both the countries have already opined that the north eastern states of India will also be affected due to the implementation of the river linking project.

India is a friendly neighbouring country. The people of Bangladesh are always grateful to India for its great assistance in the war of liberation. So, we want to see again the same friendly gesture from India through abandoning the river linking project.

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