Protect people and nature from controversial Tipaimukh Dam

Dr Nargis A Banu
Environmental Scientist, Sydney Water Corporation, NSW, Australia
Email: nargis.banu@sydneywater.com.au; Mobile: 0408 766 977

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. 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. 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 of Barak River and Tuivai river course.
Such faults are potentially active and may be focal
and/or epicentres of any future earthquake.
Figure 1: Location of Tipaimukh Dam

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.

Dr Nargis Banu 1 Seminar Presentation

3rd July 2009 The Australian National University
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.

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 Figure 2: Seismically Hazardous Zone
areas of Dhaka division depends on this water.
The river system also supports local industries like fertilizer, electricity, gas etc.

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. The above impacts on the
river-floodplain-wetland 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.

Dr Nargis Banu 2 Seminar Presentation

3rd July 2009 The Australian National University
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 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 tube-
wells. Agriculture, which is 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.

Dam Break
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.

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. Despite the above mentioned
impacts, construction of a high dam obstructs the migratory path of fish and other aquatic fauna,
prevents the exchange of micro-nutrients and silt between the upper and lower reaches of a river
and has an overall adverse affect on the riverine food chain. 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.

Climate Change
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 1997 UN convention adopted two key issues, one, 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

Dr Nargis Banu 3 Seminar Presentation

3rd July 2009 The Australian National University
lower riparian country by withdrawing or diverting normal natural flow 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. 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 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. 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.

What Can Be Done

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.

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.

As the proposed site is one of the highest potential earthquake areas in the world, so
impacts of its tectonic setting need to be considered seriously.

Draw international community’s (Asian Development Bank, World Bank, UN) 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.

In Summary: Construction of the Tipaimukh Dam must stop now until the experts from both
countries are 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 2009.
Dr. Soibam Ibotombi, Tipaimukh Dam Is A Geo-tectonic Blunder Of International Dimensions.
Dept. of Earth Sciences, Manipur University.

Dr Nargis Banu 4 Seminar Presentation

3rd July 2009 The Australian National University