The Ganges, an international river about 2500 kilomaters long, rises on the southern slope of the Himalayas in Nepal and moves through India in an eastern direction to Bangladesh. Before crossing the border, the mainstream of the Gangas splits into two channels: Bhagirathi Hooghly, which is the name of the Ganges in West Bengal and the Padma, as the Ganges is called in Bangladesh. The Padma meets the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh, and their combined flow runs south to empty into the Bay of Bengal. The Bhagirathi Hoophly stays in Indian tarritory, creating the Port of Calcutta as it drains into the see. The region receives the great majority of its rainfall during the surmner months (June-October). The population of the river basin is mostly agrarian.
India built a barrage (partial dam) at Farakka, 11 milas upstream from the Bangladesh border in 1975. During the dry season the: barrage diverts water away from Bangladesh into the indian stream. The stronger current prevents the Calcutta port from becoming filled with silt. The loss of water, however, has taken a great toll on Bangladesh, which relies on the river for irrigation, fisheries, drinking water, transportation, industrial activities, and other components of the ecosystem.
37 % of tha total area and 33 % of the population of Bangladesh are dependant on the Ganges River Basin. Bangladesh alleges that the withdrawal of water at Farakka has brought considerable hardship to the people of that region and to the nation in general, whose population has jumpd from 75 million in 1975 to an estimated 120 million in 1992. Water diversion in the dry season has reduced their irrigation capacity, while also affecting non-irrigated crops, which depend on residual moisture of the soil. The change in now has altered the planting cycle and caused the depletion of groundwatars in the hasin.
The reduced current is incapable of flushing out decomposing winds, insecticides, and industrial debris, which ara dumped into the river and also cause stagnation. Fish, a staple food of Bangladeshis, are endangered by this changed ecosystem. Furthermore, the low level of water during the dry season makes once navigatable waterways unusuable for shipping and transportation because of silting. Another serious contention is that without the strong outward pressure of the river, the ocean is pressing inland, thlls salinating the water supply and destroying trees and farmland. ThreSundarban Mangrove forest (habitat of the famous Bengal tigers) suffers from such a lack of sweet-water
Due to tha altered flow, the riverbed has also become less capable of handling the monsoon rain and is hence more susceptible to flooding. Meanwhile, competition for land and natural resources the the burgeoning population is driving Bangladashis to live in marginal, disaster-prone areas. Thus, millions of people live on chars, bars of silt and sand in the mouth of the Bengal delta, which are washed away annually by ocean tides and monsoon floods. In 1988,Bangladesh sufferred from catastrophic floods which put nearly three-fifths (58%: of the country under water. Than President Ershad described the flood as a `man-made curse" and appealed for international assistance, hut refusrtd any aid from India.
Another environmental issue heing aggravated by tha Farakka barrage is desertification in the north-westarn sector of Bangladesh. Bzcause of the dehydrational impact of the barrage, groundwater supplies have been overtapped and are now running dry. Formerly lush cropland has become marginalized and arid.
Loss of land, natural disasters, and resultant food shortages have forced many Bangladeshis to flee their homeland. Many of these environmental refugees have crossed the border into India where they are widely unwelcome. Thgis resentment, particularly in the state of Assam, has resulted in attacks on the refugees.
The direct environmental effects of the barrage ara very difficult to separate from other problems. Bangladesh blames most of the country's resource woes on the barrage, while India refutes these claims. It is likely that the barrage has aggravated many of the pre-existing problems facing the country, such as desertification and salinity intrusion, but it is certainly not the only cause. Deforestation is also to blame. In the Himalayan watershed, an increasing population of agrarian people depend on wood for fuel and are rapidly outstripping the carrying capacity of the environment. "Deforestation, overgrazing, and unsustainable farming practices have diminished the soil's ability to absorb watar. Available data, though not comprehensive, suggest that one-half to three fourths of the middle ranges in Nepal and India have been deforested in the last four decades." (Jodi Jacobson, Environmental Refugees, World Watch Paper 86, Washington, DC, 1988). This prohlem is prevalent in those reeions critical to the Ganges' tributaries.
Tha Government of Bangladesh has also used the issue as a rallying call to unite the population against a common foe. By accusing India of creating Bangladesh's natural disasters, the Government of Bangladesh is absolved of blame. Meanwhile, massive foreign aid has helped Bangladesh in developing its agricultural sector so that it is now capahle of feeding the entire population withoul food subsidies.
Bangladeshi Proposal: Create catchment reservoirs in Nepal which would release excess water from the monsoon into the Ganges tributaries during the dry season (November-May). The increased flow would henefit India and Bangladesh downstream. The Nepalese would be rewarded with hydroelectricity from the dams.
Indian Proposal: Divert water from the Brahmaputra River to the Gangas through a 209 mile link canal across northern Bangladesh to Farakka. Both the heginning and end of the system would remain in indian territory. India has also offered Bangladesh assistance in developing its railways.
Problems: The Bangladeshis want multilateral negotiations which would involve Nepal. India favors bilateral negotiations with Bangladesh. The difference is in the power relationship between the two countries, which would give India an advantage in negotiating a bilatteral agreement. Nepal's involvement would ensure its concurrence on any final agreement. India hopes to retain control over the water supply in any development program.
Role of International Bodies: The World Bank has of offered assistance in the development of a project similar to the Bangladashi proposal. The program will include India, Nepal, and Bangladesh in an effort to control the annual floods while generating elactricity. Further study, investment guarantees, and involvement are required to help resolve the conflict.
April, 1995 marked twenty years since the commissioning of the Farakka Barrage. Bangladesh has used the occasion to intensify its demand for negotiations. Prima Minister Khalrxla Zia has called for urgent negotiation of a short-term agreement. She says, "It would take time for a long-term agreement, but we need water immediately." The current season has heen exceptionally dry, forcing prices on food and fertilizer to rise. The eighth summit of the seven-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was held in New Delhi on May 2-4. Zia, current Chair of SAARC, pressed for negotiations, hut no arrangements were made.
[SKETCH MAP OF THE GANGA AND THE BRAHMAPUTRA BASINS]
Published by The Southern Asian Institute, Columbia University. May 1995
Editor: Barbara Gombach, Assistant Director, Southarn Asian Institute.
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