The federal government of Bangladesh has raised objections to the two Indian hydropower projects planned along the Indo-Bangladesh border in the state of Meghalaya.
The government has claimed that the two projects were likely to have adverse effects, driven by change in the course of rivers on which the dams are planned.
The two hydropower projects, Mawphu projects on the Umiew river and Myntdu projects on the Myntdu river, were planned to facilitate the power-drought state.
Meghalaya power minister Clement Marak told the state assembly that Bangladesh was opposed to the two projects claiming that they would have adverse effects for the country.
Marak has also quoted a letter sent from the Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) asking the government to terminate the construction of projects until the completion of joint assessment by two countries.
The minister added that the pre-feasibility study of Mawphu hydro project would not seize water since it is a run-of-river model.
“The project shall utilize mostly the available discharge in the river drawn through a 4.07-km-long tunnel to the power house generating 362.53 million units, meeting the same river downstream through a 45-meter-long channel,” explained Marak.
Bangladesh has urged its Indian counterpart to suspend the project till the two countries sign a water-sharing agreement.