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| India-Bangladesh ministerial team to settle disputes | | |
Agartala, Aug 30 India and Bangladesh will try and mutually settle disputed water projects and land strips along major rivers that separate the two countries during ministerial level talks next month, officials said Wednesday.
"The India-Bangladesh Joint River Commission (JRC), headed by the water resources ministers of the two countries, would make an on the spot study of disputed water projects and other riverside land before the two-day JRC meeting to be held in Dhaka on Sep 19-20," Tripura's water resources department chief engineer G.K. Malakar told IANS.
The 11-member Bangladeshi delegation headed by Hafizuddin Ahmed and 12-member Indian delegation led by Saifuddin Soz will visit bordering areas of West Bengal and Tripura. The ministerial level meeting is scheduled for Sep 12 in Tripura's capital Agartala.
The two ministers, accompanied by senior officials of the two countries, will make a similar visit in the Bangladesh side across West Bengal and Tripura.
"At least 23 river embankment, 14 lift irrigation and one water treatment projects along the Indo-Bangla border have either remained incomplete or could not start following the Bangladesh government's uninterrupted protests during the past many years," Malakar said.
Reports quoting Bangladesh officials in Dhaka said India's plan to link 30 major rivers and divert their flow from India's northeast to water-deficient areas in the southwestern part of the country would deprive Bangladesh of its fair share of water.
Bangladesh shares 54 rivers with India while Tripura, which is flanked by Bangladesh, shares 10 rivers and a large number of rivulets with the neighbouring country.
"Just on the eve of the start of the three border town protection projects last year with an estimated cost of Rs.160 million, the Bangladesh government protested forcing the Tripura authorities to stop the work," said Malakar.
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