TIPAIMUKH DAM ON BARAK RIVER AND ITS IMPACT ON NATURAL SETTINGS: A SOUTH –ASIAN CONTAINS

Supratim Karmakar, River Research Institute, Kolkata, India

Abstract

This paper deals on the proposed dam Tipaimukh  on Barak River in Manipur in India. Tipaimukh is an unknown locality in Manipur state, near the border of Mizoram state.  The river Barak has entered into Bangladesh through Zakiganj in Sylhet and is flowing into two directions - Surma and Kushiyara. The Barak and its main distributaries river Surma and Kushiara fall within the Meghna basin, member of one of the worlds most dynamic and diversified hydrologic basin trio- Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) river system. Tipaimukh is a flood control-cum-hydroelectric project. The dam would be an earthen-rock filled dam to be constructed with the length of 390 m and height 162.8 m at an altitude of about 180 m above mean sea level with a maximum reservoir level of 178m. The estimated cost of the project is Rs, 69,790 million - equivalent to US $1423 million. The project is expected to be completed in seven years. The foundation stone of the project was laid in December 2006. The Surma-Kushiyara River system originates from the Barak River in India. The Barak River drains 25,260 km2 of land in the states of Assam, Manipur and Mizoram and crosses into Bangladesh near Amalshid. At Amalshid it splits into the northward-flowing Surma River and the southward-flowing Kushiyara River. Bangladesh and India too, people will have to suffer a lot for this mega project. The total area required for construction including submergence area is 30860 ha of which 20,797 ha is forest land, 1,195 ha is village land, 6,160 ha is horticultural land, and 2,525 ha is agricultural land. As per estimates of the authorities themselves, the project will totally affect 311sq. km and 8 villages, 1461 Hmar families in all. The project will submerge altogether 60 kms of National Highway No 53, the only alternative lifeline to NH-39 at three different points with two major bridges. The main sources of livelihood of the people are agriculture and horticulture. With the construction of Tipaimukh high dam more than 67 villages will be deprived of their source of livelihood. Bangladesh are afraid for construction of the massive dam and regulate water flow of the river Barak that will have long adverse effects on the river system of Surma and Kushiyara in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh. This mega dam project will obviously have negative impacts on ecology, environment, agriculture, bio-diversity, fisheries, socio-economy etc. of India and Bangladesh.