By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Two months after the Bangladesh Government objected to the construction of two dams in Meghalaya borders for power generation, the State Government is yet to receive any communication from the Union Government about its initiative to take up the matter with the neighbouring country.
In reply to a call attention motion moved by Paul Lyngdoh (UDP) regarding Bangladesh’s opposition to two power projects in the borders, Power Minister Clement Marak told the Assembly on Wednesday that it was in January this year that a letter was received from the Union Ministry of Water Resources, enclosing a letter from Member, Joint Rivers Commission Bangladesh, on the construction of two dams – Mawphu across the river Umiew and Myntdu across the river Myntdu in Meghalaya.
According to Marak, the letter stated that both the dams are on the common rivers between Bangladesh and India, and hence, the construction of the two dams may cause adverse impacts on various sectors in Bangladesh due to change of flow of the rivers.
“The Member, Joint Rivers Commission, Bangladesh, requested not to proceed with the construction of the dams until impact assessment on various sectors in Bangladesh is jointly conducted and water sharing agreements of the above two common rivers is signed between the two countries,” Marak said.
The Minister said that the Union Ministry of Water Resources urged the State Government to send complete information including Environmental Impact Assessment studies, if any, along with the status of the projects and views of the State Government on the subject.
The Power Minister said that the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL), through a letter dated January 7, informed the Union Ministry that they have taken up the survey and investigation works of Myntdu dam Stage II which is located near the Bangladesh border.
“The project is planned as a Run-of-River scheme and as such there will be no impoundment of water. The flow regime of the river will not, therefore, be affected.
“At present environmental impact assessment studies had not been taken up yet,” Marak said, quoting the MeECL letter.
According to the Minister, the MeECL also requested NEEPCO to furnish a separate statement for Mawphu Hydro electric project, as the project has been taken up by the Corporation.
“NEEPCO in its letter on January 17 informed the Union Ministry that as per the pre-feasibility report prepared by the Corporation, the project is a Run-of-River type development with marginal live pondage of 1.12 million cubic meters only, and as such, the project will utilize mostly the available discharge in the river,” the Minister said.
The Power Minister said that the discharge from the reservoir will be drawn through a 4.07 km long tunnel to the power house for generation of 362.53 million units annually in a 90 % dependable year.
“Moreover, the project has neither any irrigation nor drinking water component. Therefore, there will not be any diversion of water from the river at all due to the proposed project,” Marak said.
However, the Minister said that the State Government is yet to receive any response from the Union Ministry of Water Resources.
“Regarding offering a stake to Bangladesh in the two projects, no information has been received from the Union Ministry of External Affairs or the Ministry of Power and further action on the matter will be initiated only after a response from the Centre,” Marak added.