Abandon the chinese plan for constructing dam and diversion of water

Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) organized a Citizen's Gathering on 25th November 2006 at Shahbag, Dhaka protesting against and demanding for immediate cancellation of Chinese plan of constructing a dam and diverting huge amount of water from the Yarlung Zanbo - Brahmaputra river.

Mr. Zakir Hussain, Joint Secretary of BAPA and Chief Executive of NAGORIKDDYOG presided over this spontaneous gathering of people from different section of the city representing several organizations namely BAPA, Nagorik Uddyog, Green Voice, Coalition for Urban NGOs, SHEBA, Osmani Uddyan Gacch Raksha Andolon, Buriganga Bachao Andolon, Citizen's Rights Movement, BMS Association, World Peace Organization and Transboundary Rivers Group of BAPA. The program was addressed by Mohidul Hoque Khan, Dr. Mohd. Abdul Matin, Mihir Biswas, Architect Iqbal Habib,Ruhin Hussan Prince, Sharif  Jamil, Dr. Md. Nuruddin, Tushar Rehman, Alamgir Kabir, Advocte Abid Raza and Jalal Sarker.

The meeting expressed the opinion that the Brahmaputra is an important  trans boundary river that is flowing over China, India and Bangladesh before ending into the Bay of Bengal. Hundreds of millions of inhabitants residing over the area comprising whole of Bangladesh, vast North Eastern India and an extensive portion of China are, the water resources, rivers, environment, economy and livelihood prevailing there in are absolutely dependant on this river. Following the tragic aftermath of the Farakka Barrage on the river Ganges, Bangladesh is widely dependant on the untapped Brahmaputra that provides more than 70% of its water requirements during the lean flow season. Construction of large infrastructures like dams, barrages, hydroelectric and irrigation projects, developmental activities on and around the river, deforestation, hill cuttings over the north eastern & Tibetan Himalayas etc are significantly contributing in the ever increasing siltation and drying up of the rivers wetlands resulting in gradual environmental degradations in Bangladesh.

The present Chinese plan of constructing dam at Shoumatan area for diverting more than 200 BCM of water (out of 500 BCM total yearly flow volume) from the Brahmaputra will put Bangladesh and north eastern India into uncontrollable deadlier floods and draughts.

The meeting observed that like Indian River Linking Project, the alleged Chinese atrocity is the clear contradiction to and violation of the "UN Convention on Non-navigable Uses of Water Courses 1997" and the "Report of the World Commission on Dams" which are universally accepted by the civilized society of the world for their inherent compulsive theme of  recognizing the rights of the lower riparian people to water and environment. The meeting also declared the plan for sending a Memorandumo of Protest to the President of the Peoples Republic of China shortly and continue the people's movement against this project.

The meeting strongly protested against the unilateral Chinese project of water withdrawal from the Brahmaputra and resolved the following demands:

1. The Chinese plan for construction of dam on and diversion of water from Yarlung Zanbo-Brahmaputra must be cancelled immediately.

2. Hill cuttings and developmental works involving boulder throwing into the Brahmaputra and its tributaries must be stopped.

3. Ruthless deforestation in the Tibetan Himalayas must be stopped.

4. Coordinated ecological Water & River Resources management on the basis of regional cooperation between China, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan must be adopted.