Water grid programme set to connect India with Bangladesh seamlessly

[Black_cats]

Water grid programme set to connect India with Bangladesh seamlessly

Megha Manchanda | New Delhi | Last Updated at July 07 2019 01:07 IST

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Opening up of the India-Bangladesh protocol route for a seamless movement through waterways would be the start of a water grid programme.

The plan to create a water grid was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her Budget speech on Friday.
The 1400-km long National Waterway-1 will be connected to the 1,600 km long India-Bangladesh protocol route via National Waterway-2, which is roughly 900 km in length.

“It would be the start of the water grid network, which will essentially mean free flow of water from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Bangladesh via Haldia (West Bengal). It will translate into nearly 4,000 km of uninterrupted flow of water,” an official in the know told Business Standard.

Sitharaman, in her maiden Budget speech, said that on the lines of ‘One Nation, One Grid’ in the power sector, the government would develop gas grids, water grids and i-ways (information ways) in the country.

Similar studies are going on for waterways connectivity in Goa and Maharashtra. The idea behind the grid is to connect the waterways with rivers and ultimately the sea to have a seamless transportation of goods across the country and reduce logistics cost, said the official.

In October 2018, India and Bangladesh signed a pact for enhancing inland and coastal waterways connectivity between the two countries for trade and cruise movements.

According to the agreement, the two countries will use Chittagong and Mongla ports in Bangladesh for movement of goods to and from India.

The Northeastern states would get connected directly to the ports of Kolkata and Haldia and Mongla in Bangladesh through the waterways, which would facilitate movement of export-import cargo and reduce the logistics costs.

A grant of Rs 450 crore had been earmarked for the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) this year for the development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation.

The authority primarily undertakes infrastructure development and regulation of National Waterways.

Besides IWAI, an allocation of over Rs 600 crore has been made in Budget 2019-20 for inland waterway projects, including provision for externally-aided projects of IWAI (funded through World Bank or ADB).

The funds are also meant for implementation and commissioning of projects – construction of multi-modal terminals in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Sahibganj (Jharkhand) and Haldia (West Bengal) as well as navigational lock in Farakka (West Bengal) and other ancillary projects under the Jal Marg Vikas Project or JMVP.

https://wap.business-standard.com/b...ith-bangladesh-seamlessly-119070700019_1.html

 

[Homo Sapiens]

The 1400-km long National Waterway-1 will be connected to the 1,600 km long India-Bangladesh protocol route via National Waterway-2, which is roughly 900 km in length

According to the agreement, the two countries will use Chittagong and Mongla ports in Bangladesh for movement of goods to and from India.

These are the projects for the benefit of India. In one hand, India is taking various hostile posture and rhetoric against Bangladesh, on the other hands planning a lot of road, railway,river connectivity with this country to serve it's own interest.

The Northeastern states would get connected directly to the ports of Kolkata and Haldia and Mongla in Bangladesh through the waterways, which would facilitate movement of export-import cargo and reduce the logistics costs.

Again for the benefit of India. India need Bangladesh's waterway, railway, road, airspace to connect with it's north eastern states. At the same time treating Bangladesh as a security threat and made Bangladesh an object of scorn in it's ugly politics.

It is also not clear, what we will get in return for all these benefits we bestow upon India.

It seems, India is willing to take full advantage of what Bangladesh's geography can offer, it's friendly govt. can offer but at the same time not willing to think about any reciprocity or giving some respect to the very country from which it expect so much. Is there any other people in the world who are more self-serving, more selfish than these Hindustani banya?

 

[Chhatrapati]

Again for the benefit of India. India need Bangladesh's waterway, railway, road, airspace to connect with it's north eastern states. At the same time treating Bangladesh as a security threat and made Bangladesh a scorned object in it's ugly politics.

You can keep the illegals and smugglers out and then there is no problem between India and Bangladesh.

It seems India is willing to take full advantage of what Bangladesh's geography can offer, it's friendly govt. can offer but at the same time not willing to think about any reciprocity or giving some respect to the very country from which it expect so much. Is there any other people in the world who are more self-serving, more selfish than these Hindustani banya?

What incentives you don't get? Are there anything exclusive that comes from BD, we should provide access to which is being stopped?

 

[Homo Sapiens]

More like help India take over Bangladesh. Strange they call the canals the "waterways".

Do Ganges, Brahmaputra rivers look canal to you?

 

[Bilal9]

Do Ganges, Brahmaputra rivers look canal to you?

I believe @khansaheeb bhai may have referred to Ganges upstream flowing through the BIMARU states and that of Brahmaputra through Assam, where both rivers are fairly narrow waterways.

You can keep the illegals and smugglers out and then there is no problem between India and Bangladesh.


What incentives you don't get? Are there anything exclusive that comes from BD, we should provide access to which is being stopped?

I believe the point from a Bangladeshi perspective is that any plan India makes to transport goods through Bangladeshi waterways must be planned WITH Bangladesh.

You cannot plan a international waterways plan unilaterally and hope to impose it on a sovereign state. It is at best comical and won't work.

Bangladesh has its own interests and waterways strategies and that of India's has to work with ours.

On a more remote note, China (as the origination point of the Brahmaputra as well as half the tributaries of the Ganges), has to be involved as well. They are already planning to dam those rivers upstream before they enter India. See the map above.

 

[namefield_empty]

Bilal guy at his clueless best, as usual. Brahmaputra is just about 200 metres from my house in Assam and we have a clear view of the river from our third floor terrace. In times like these during monsoons it is difficult distinguish it from an angry sea, the other bank barely visible. And that remains the same all year round.

Length of Dhola-Sadiya bridge(Bhupen Hazarika Setu) in our neighbouring district is 9150 metres. Bogibeel bridge in my place is 5000 metres long. Kolia Bhomora bridge in Tezpur is 3015 metres. Naranarayan setu in lower Assam is 2.2 kms long.

Dibang river bridge in Arunachal over a tributary of the Brahmaputra is 6200 metres long. Three out of the top 4 river bridges in India are built over the Brahmaputra and that ignoramus thinks that Brahmaputra is a canal!!

The bridges in Bangladesh pales in comparison to ours and BD has done a poor job connecting both banks of the Jamuna wrt to their other rivers.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

I believe @khansaheeb bhai may have referred to Ganges upstream flowing through the BIMARU states and that of Brahmaputra through Assam, where both rivers are fairly narrow waterways.

I believe the point from a Bangladeshi perspective is that any plan India makes to transport goods through Bangladeshi waterways must be planned WITH Bangladesh.

You cannot plan a international waterways plan unilaterally and hope to impose it on a sovereign state. It is at best comical and won't work.

Bangladesh has its own interests and waterways strategies and that of India's has to work with ours.

On a more remote note, China (as the origination point of the Brahmaputra as well as half the tributaries of the Ganges), has to be involved as well. They are already planning to dam those rivers upstream before they enter India. See the map above.

Bilal guy at his clueless best, as usual. Brahmaputra is just about 200 metres from my house in Assam and we have a clear view of the river from our third floor terrace. In times like these during monsoons it is difficult distinguish it from an angry sea, the other bank barely visible. And that remains the same all year round.

Length of Dhola-Sadiya bridge(Bhupen Hazarika Setu) in our neighbouring district is 9150 metres. Bogibeel bridge in my place is 5000 metres long. Kolia Bhomora bridge in Tezpur is 3015 metres. Naranarayan setu in lower Assam is 2.2 kms long.

Dibang river bridge in Arunachal over a tributary of the Brahmaputra is 6200 metres long. Three out of the top 4 river bridges in India are built over the Brahmaputra and that ignoramus thinks that Brahmaputra is a canal!!

The bridges in Bangladesh pales in comparison to ours and BD has done a poor job connecting both banks of the Jamuna wrt to their other rivers.

Ganges-Brhamaputra river system is the 3rd largest river system in the world in water discharge after Amazon and Congo. It's average water discharge stand at more than 38,000 m3/second.

He clearly have no idea what this could be. For any Pakistani to better understand, we can compare it with Indus, a river equivalent for Pakistan of what Nile for Egypt. Average water discharge for Indus is 6,600m3/second. I do not think any Pakistani would call river Indus, a canal. Now think about a river system which carry 6 times the water carried by Indus.

 

[namefield_empty]

Ganges-Brhamaputra river system is the 3rd largest river system in the world in water discharge after Amazon and Congo. It's average water discharge stand at more than 38,000 m3/second.

The narrowest part of the Brahmaputra is in present day Guwahati where the Saraighat bridge(1.5 km) is built, here the Brahmaputra carves its way through the Nilachal hills. This place has historical significance as the Ahoms chose this place for strategic reasons to fight the Mughals. Other than that the river is pretty wide and furious elsewhere.

 

[Bilal9]

Now listen to Indians jump up and down about the Chinese damming the Brahmaputra upstream (by now the 4th dam). 'Asar padega' blah blah blah, they are now concerned about Bangladesh!

Funny when they dammed Farakka sometime ago they never asked us, now the shoe is on the other foot.

Old news but still significant.

 

[Chhatrapati]

I believe the point from a Bangladeshi perspective is that any plan India makes to transport goods through Bangladeshi waterways must be planned WITH Bangladesh.

You think we plan a water way through a foreign country without consulting you? How stupid it'll be. This is not a plan, this is just budgetary allocation for the future plan, a feasibility study must have been conducted well before.

On a more remote note, China (as the origination point of the Brahmaputra as well as half the tributaries of the Ganges), has to be involved as well. They are already planning to dam those rivers upstream before they enter India. See the map above.

Why should China be involved in inland water way project. They do not even have populated areas in connection with those water ways. Chinese dams are a concern over Brahmaputra. Which will seriously affect Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Which has no relation whatsoever with inland waterway project.

 

[namefield_empty]

Chinese dams are a concern over Brahmaputra. Which will seriously affect Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Chinese dams would have NO impact in Assam and Arunachal other than the fact that they had been discharging toxic wastes in our pristine clean rivers.

Tibet is in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, Yarlung Tsangpo doesn't have enough waters in Tibet to concern us. Brahmaputra drainage system is mainly because of the monsoon and numerous north and south bank tributaries from Bhutan to Bengal to Meghalaya plateau to Nagaland hill streams.

Media is just sensationalizing the issue. Anyway it is impossible for China to divert Brahmaputra waters over the steep gradient of the plateau to take it elsewhere.

 

[Goku]

Now listen to Indians jump up and down about the Chinese damming the Brahmaputra upstream (by now the 4th dam). 'Asar padega' blah blah blah, they are now concerned about Bangladesh!

Funny when they dammed Farakka sometime ago they never asked us, now the shoe is on the other foot.

Old news but still significant.

Dumb if china does that , even Bangladesh will affected due to it , less water for us means less water for you too , now keep jumping

Chinese dams would have NO impact in Assam and Arunachal other than the fact that they had been discharging toxic wastes in our pristine clean rivers.

Tibet is in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, Yarlung Tsangpo doesn't have enough waters in Tibet to concern us. Brahmaputra drainage system is mainly because of the monsoon and numerous north and south bank tributaries from Bhutan to Bengal to Meghalaya plateau to Nagaland hill streams.

Media is just sensationalizing the issue. Anyway it is impossible for China to divert Brahmaputra waters over the steep gradient of the plateau to take it elsewhere.

That Bilal guy is quite deluded , mocking us as China is building dams but forgets that Bangladesh will also get less water because of that

 

[namefield_empty]

That Bilal guy is quite deluded , mocking us as China is building dams but forgets that Bangladesh will also get less water because of

He has a reason, though. The region around the Jamuna in BD is devoid of infrastructure and development compared to the regions around Meghna and Padma. Brahmaputra being a braided river is quite difficult to manage and changes course frequently. He thinks that if perhaps China can train the river it will solve Bangladesh's problems as they have other rivers to fall back upon.

But he doesn't know that the Brahmaputra is an antecedent river meaning it existed even before the upheaval of the Himalayas and it will remain no matter what China does in their desert Tibetan plateau which receives much less rainfall compared to NE and BD.

 

[Goku]

He has a reason, though. The region around the Jamuna in BD is devoid of infrastructure and development compared to the regions around Meghna and Padma. Brahmaputra being a braided river is quite difficult to manage and changes course frequently. He thinks that if perhaps China can train the river it will solve Bangladesh's problems as they have other rivers to fall back upon.

But he doesn't know that the Brahmaputra is an antecedent river meaning it existed even before the upheaval of the Himalayas and it will remain no matter what China does in their desert Tibetan plateau which receives much less rainfall compared to NE and BD.

True much of Brahmaputras water comes from its tributaries as Tibet is arid and rain shadow zone because of Himalayas , to control Brahmaputra flooding we can divert its water to arid regions of northern Madhya Pradesh through river linking

 

[third eye]

It is also not clear, what we will get in return for all these benefits we bestow upon India.

Wonder if boats carrying goods downstream will / can carry goods upstream too ?