India looking to export hydropower to Bangladesh
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India today said it is seeking to export surplus hydropower from its northeastern states to Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Virtually addressing a gathering where chief ministers of eight northeastern states were present, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said Bangladesh is importing 1,160 MW of power through adjoining states in India and the hydropower of the Himalayas has been used for the joint advantages of the North East and its own neighbours through hydroelectric projects in Bhutan.
Pointing out that rivers have historically played an essential role in connecting the persons and business in your community encompassing the North East and the neighbouring countries, he said a plan for 20 port townships along the Brahmaputra and Barak river systems to improve inland water connectivity could galvanise multimodal linkages in the complete region.
"This region was served by our common rivers, particularly Brahmaputra and Barak-Surma, that have been used extensively for facilitating trade and commerce, and people-to-people contact. Recognising this, considerable efforts have been made in recent years to augment inland waterways connectivity between your North East and Bangladesh," Shringla described.
Shringla said India and Bangladesh will work on building an India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline in order that hydrocarbons from refineries in Assam can flow through this pipeline into Bangladesh.
Discussing prime ministers of India and Bangladesh jointly inaugurating the rail link between Haldibari in West Bengal and Chilahati in Bangladesh through the virtual summit held on Thursday, he said work is ongoing on two more pre-1965 rail links (Kulaura in India and Shahbazpur in Bangladesh) and between Karimganj in Assam and Sylhet in Bangladesh.
A railway connectivity that links Akhaura in Bangladesh to Agartala is under construction and you will be ready by 2022 when India will commemorate 75th anniversary of its independence, Shringla said.
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net