Sharing of common river waters

The conference essentially laid emphasis on the pressing need for regional cooperation in managing the major river systems, which are shared by neighbouring countries. The experts were unanimous in their opinion that the impact of the IRLP if implemented will be patently negative as it seeks to divert the natural flows of some major transboundary rivers. It is obviously not a question of one country or area being affected by it. The environmentalists even from India, including the well-respected Medha Patekar, opposed the IRLP in very clear terms. The conference actually created an opportunity for the environmentalists to dwell at length on different aspects of the proposed project. Ms Patekar went to the extent of saying "people should resist implementation of the project". She also put it down to India's internal politics.

The Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka, Veena Sikri, who also spoke at the conference, said that the IRLP was still at a 'conceptual stage' and that 'consultation' would be held between co-riparian states subsequently. When the Congress government came to power following the last general elections in India something to the same effect had been stated. What the countries in the region expect from the Indian government is assurance, not mere allaying of fears, that no project that can have disastrous environmental consequences will ever be implemented. In fact, the provision for mutual cooperation and negotiations was incorporated in the Ganges Water Treaty which the High Commissioner referred to as an example of mutually beneficial agreement.

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The bottom-line is that there is no substitute for cooperation and information sharing insofar as harnessing common river water resources is concerned. The rights of the co-riparians have to be recognised in both theory and practice. Equally important is the fact that there is no limit to the benefits that can accrue from a cooperative approach. The recommendations made at the conference should help the countries reach an understanding on how to share waters of common rivers to the maximum advantage of all co-riparian states.