Manas River - River Development Options

River Development Options

One of the development projects planned in the past on the Manas River envisaged flood control in the Brahmaputra River and augmentation of flows in the Ganga river system by building a dam on the river at the Indo-Bhutan border. The stored water stored behind the reservoir was proposed to be transferred through a long canal system through the foot hills of the Himalayas(skirting Bangladesh) crossing 25 major and minor rivers, out of which the major rivers the Sankosh, Raidak, Amo (Torsa), Kartoya, Teesta, Atrai and Mahananda through North Bengal, and finally out falling into the Kosi River in North Bihar. The project has not proceeded further due to several adverse public opinion and environmental concerns.

The proposal mooted in the 1970s to build a dam on the river for multipurpose uses of power, irrigation and flood control in Assam involved a 100 kilometres (62 mi) long canal from the Manas reservoir to another reservoir on the Sankosh River. As the canal was passing through the Manas Tiger Reserve, the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Government of India objected to the proposal on the grounds of adverse impact that would occur due to the dam on the Hydrology and ecology of the area. This view was also supported by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO. The late Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi upheld the objections and decided to discontinue with the project. It is unlikely to be revived. The proposal had been mooted as a joint project of India and Bhutan. The pre-feasibility report prepared for this Manas multipurpose project envisaged power generation of 2800 MW. Another cooperation project on the Mandgde Chu, in central Bhutan, tributary of Manas, envisages power generation of 360/600 MW for which Detailed Project Report (DPR) is under preparation.