Join the protest rally at United Nations Headquarters in New York
Supported by Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia
বাংলাদেশ পরিবেশ নেটওয়ার্ক (বেন)
A global network to help Bangladesh protect her environment
http://listserv.cc.emory.edu/archives/ben.html
Stop Indian River Linking Project!
Join the protest rally at United Nations Headquarter in New York
Venue: Ralph Bunche Park, 1st Avenue, between 42nd and 44th Street
Time: May 25, Friday, 3-4 pm
(Memo to UN Secretary General, Ambassador of India)
On February 27, the Indian Supreme Court directed the Indian Government to start implementing the Indian River Linking Project (IRLP) within 30 days and to complete this estimated $150 billion dollar project by 2016. The Court has even formed an implementation committee for the project. This court directive is similar to a death warrant for Bangladesh.
The Indian River Linking Project’s main purpose is to transfer water from the Brahmaputra and the Ganges Rivers to western and southern India. Since 1974, following the diversion of water from the Ganges River, the Brahmaputra River has been supplying about 70 percent of dry season river water flow in Bangladesh. If now through IRLP India starts diverting Brahmaputra River water and more of the Ganges River water, the remaining rivers of Bangladesh will be pushed towards death.
Both the Ganges and the Brahmaputra are international rivers so that India has no right to divert their water unilaterally. IRLP, therefore, violates the 1997 United Nations Convention on Non-navigational Use of International Watercourses.
In order to build international opinion against IRLP, Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN), together with Bangladesh Society, New York, and other Bangladeshi community organizations, is holding a protest rally at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on May 25, Friday at 3-4 pm. Please join this rally and ask others to join it too. Resist IRLP and save Bangladesh rivers and the environment!
Contact: Sayed Fazlur Rahman (347-842-8527); Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed (610-203-9695); AKM Nurul Haque (917-916-3133); Semonty Wahed (718-729-0582); Faiza Fatema (347-586-4612); Urbi Dev (214-497-3201); Mahbubur Rahman (973-689-4164); Ahsanul I. Chowdhury (347-513-8348); Izazul Haque (917-916-3133).
Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia 