It will not be possible to share Teesta waters with Bangladesh when West Bengal is fearful that it will not get its share of water as the rivers flow may shrink with the Hydro Electricity Corporation of India(HECI) constructing ten more hydro power stations on the river, West Bengal irrigation minister Rajiv Banerjee says, reports BBC Bangla service on Thursday night. Rajiv Banerjee, the irrigation minister told the BBC that three dams had already been constructed over the Teesta. Ten more dams have been planned. But no permission has been taken from them, the minister complained. With so many dams coming up not only the Teesta flow will be interrupted, but also there will be threats of flooding during monsoon, Rajiv Banerjee warned. The HECI of the central government (New Delhi) had
taken permission of WB to built one hydro power station over Teesta at Kalijhora. But Sikkim,where the river origins in the Himalayas, built two more dams. Plans are there to build ten more, Banerjee told the BBC’s Kolkata correspondent Amitav Bhattashali on Thursday saying that they are fearful of not getting water during dry season but also being flooded during rainy season because the way dams are planned without their permission.
When there will be heavy rains in the hills, water will have to be released, opening the flood gates of the dams. It will not cause any problems to Sikkim, but people downstream in north Bengal will be deluged, he added.
Rajiv Banerjee further said, they have already informed the HECI engineers about it. At the same time the central government’s power ministry have been told about the WB’s objection, Banerjee added.
“There is nothing to do about the dams already built. But the central government has been requested to have coordination with the state (WB) government
Under the circumstances its not in our priority to give water to Bangladesh when there will be crisis in the Teesta basin of West Bengal, remarked Banerjee.
“In one hand, the central government wants to give Teesta waters to Bangladesh but one organisation of that government is holding back water with dams. That means we will not get water. Our opinion was we should not do anything with Teesta waters that would harm the state interests. So our priority is to provide water for our agriculture and for drinking water, Banerjee noted.
The BBC correspondent further said that opinion of the HECI was sought through email on the dams over Teesta and hydro power productions. But there was no reply during preparation of his report.
-With The Indepenndet input
