Bangladesh Steamed At Indian Plan To Divert Parts Of 37 Rivers

[hatrack]

DHAKA, Bangladesh — "A proposed Indian plan to divert water from some South Asian rivers would turn parts of neighboring Bangladesh into desert and cause unseasonal flooding in Nepal, a regional meeting was told recently.

India wants to divert water from 37 rivers to its drought-prone areas by building reservoirs, dams, and canals. But Bangladesh officials object to the plan, saying it would reduce water levels in this South Asian delta nation and threaten the livelihoods of millions of people.

"We are very much concerned" about the project, Bangladesh foreign ministry official Reaz Rahman told a meeting of environmentalists and experts from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Most of Bangladesh's 250 rivers originate from the Himalayas, traveling through Nepal and India before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Environmentalists warned the plan to divert water to India could turn parts of Bangladesh into desert, damaging the impoverished country's fishing and farming sectors."

EDIT

http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-24/s_26667.asp