Rethinking on Tipaimukh
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 11, 2013 -

Whether there is any Bangladesh factor behind or not, Union Ministry of Environment has taken a pause from giving clearance to the controversial 1500 megawatt Tipaimukh Hydropower Project, proposed to be constructed 500 metres downstream of the confluence of Barak and Tuivai River in Manipur along the border with Mizoram.

Although the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry had already recommended clearance of the Rs 9211-core project long ago and the India Government has been persistently pushing for going ahead with the construction work despite strong protest from anti-dam activists not only in India but also from Bangladesh and its Government, the sudden need on the part of the Union Environment Ministry to have a second thought over giving clearance to the project in due consideration of the enormity of the ecological destruction likely to be caused must have come both as a bit of surprise and relief to the anti-dam activists, who have been highlighting this fact loud and clear to all but in vain.

So, what could be the reason behind this sudden change of posturing on the part of the Union Environment Ministry? After all these years of protest by the anti-dam activists, the concern of the Ministry over felling of 78 lakh trees and 27,000 bamboo columns from over 25000 hectares of forest land in Manipur for construction of the 162.80 metre high rock-filled dam to generate power is not convincing enough.

Interestingly, the alteration in the posturing of Union Environment Ministry vis-a-vis Tipaimukh Hydropower Project has come along with the changing tide of diplomatic relationship between India and Bangladesh since Awami League’s return to power in 2008 which has resulted in a number of high-level bilateral visits from both sides.

Among other issues that unfailing came in talks between the two neighbouring countries, trans-boundary water sharing is one that has remained a hard nut to be cracked.

After the bitter experience of Farakka Barrage that India constructed over the Ganges, thus leaving Bangladesh high and dry literally, the neighbouring country has been rather more cautious and vehemently opposing to the proposal of India to go ahead with construction of Tipaimukh Hydropower Project over Barak River as this would seriously affected free flow of water into its Surma and Kushyara rivers.

In fact, Bangladesh gets 7 to 8 percent of its total water from Barak River alone, and damming of Barak would mean cutting the source of water for agricultural and other purposes in the neighbouring country where India has been trying hard to win over a big brother.

So, the Bangladesh factor behind the hesitancy of the Union Environment Ministry from granting green signal to Tipaimukh Project rather than any concern over destruction to ecology in Manipur sound more plausible.

Anyway, whatever may be the reason; it must have surely come as a relief not just to the green activists but also to the whole forest life in Manipur from possible exploitation in the name of development without any proper assessment.