Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud has called for joint efforts to harness the water resources in the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna basins in order to ensure greater wellbeing of the people of the region, official news agency BSS has repored.
He was speaking as the special guest at the inaugural session of the “Water Innovation Summit 2015” arranged by the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Water Institute of India, an official handout said.
The Bangladesh Water Resources Minister emphasised on the centrality of water in the larger canvas of security and sustainable human development. Bangladesh and India face abundance of water during monsoon and scarcity during dry season. If an integrated approach is taken to manage the waters of all the basins, the region would be able to harness the huge potentials of its water resources.
In this connection, he articulated the need for construction of a barrage in the Ganges inside the Bangladesh territory in order to ensure availability of fresh water in the southern parts of Bangladesh and to contain the adverse effects of climate change.
Calling for early signing of the Teesta water sharing agreement, the minister said that solution of water issues will help achieve development and stability in the region.
In the afternoon, the minister met his Indian counterpart Uma Bharati and discussed matters of mutual interest.
On interlinking of rivers in India, Uma assured that no projects would be taken up which will in anyway affect Bangladesh, the report said. The report however made no mention of the transfer of Teesta water to Ganges and other basins which forms the No. 1 link of the river interlinking project of India.
The Indian minister also accepted invitation to attend the next JRC meeting to be held in Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time. – News Desk
