The first meeting of the India -Bangladesh sub group on Tipaimukh Hydroelectric project is scheduled to take place in New Delhi next week. The sub group under the India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission will meet for two days on August 27th and 28th. The meeting of the sub group which includes relevant technical experts of both sides is scheduled to take place in pursuance of the decisions taken during the last Foreign Office Consultations between India and Bangladesh held in New Delhi in the last week of July this year. 

With Bangladesh expressing concerns about the impact of the project, both sides decided to set up a sub group under the India Bangladesh Joint rivers commission to examine all issues related to the Tipaimukh project including the proposal for joint participation in the project. Earlier in his address to the Dhaka University during his visit to Bangladesh in September last year, Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh had stated with reference to the Tipaimukh dam project that India will not take any steps that will adversely affect Bangladesh.

The Madhya Pradesh government has chalked out a scheme for purification of Narmada River in the cities situated on its banks. Under the scheme, state’s Urban Administration and Development Department will undertake the work of preventing pollutants falling into the river with the assistance of the urban bodies of these cities.

Under the first phase of the scheme, urban bodies of nine cities situated on the banks of Narmada have been provided one crore rupees each. These cities include Amarkantak, Dindori, Mandla, Bhedaghat, Hoshangabad, Budni, Omkareshwar, Mandleshwar and Maheshwar. Utilising this fund, these urban bodies will conduct a survey and prepare a design.

To prevent pollutants from falling into the river, works for diversion of filthy drain and sold waste management will be done under the second phase. These works will be undertaken in about 52 small and medium towns situated either on the banks of Narmada or some distance away. The scheme will be completed in ten years.