Home ›› 06 May 2023 ›› Back
Dhaka and New Delhi reviewed the implementation of Katihar-Parbatipur-Baranagar 765KV high voltage interconnection transmission line between India and Bangladesh.
The issue was reviewed in the meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Steering Committee on Power Sector Cooperation in Khulna on Thursday.
Joint development of cross-border trade and relevant projects and projects on energy efficiency in Bangladesh were also discussed, read a press release of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
Meanwhile, official sources said, under the Katihar-Parbatipur-Baranagar 765KV high power interconnection transmission line project, India is seeking a corridor to supply electricity from Katihar, Bihar to Baranagar of Assam through Parbatipur in Dinajpur of Bangladesh.
They said India has a plan to generate electricity through different hydropower projects by building dams on different rivers and take the electricity to India’s north-western part from the north-eastern using Bangladesh as a corridor.
Bangladesh already said it is committed to supporting the implementation of the Katihar-Parbatipur-Baranagar transmission line.
Officials said there are huge legal, implemental, operational and security issues that need to be addressed by Bangladesh as a lower riparian country.
But India said the Katihar-Parbatipur-Baranagar transmission line is not specific to any hydro project and no riparian issues are involved with the proposed transmission line.
Earlier, Bangladesh had expressed concern that the transmission system may be used to evacuate future hydropower from NER, India and Bangladesh being a lower riparian country.
The issue also needs to be discussed in the Joint River Commission (JRC) of India and Bangladesh.
The power and energy ministry’s press release said the 21st meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Steering Committee on Cooperation in the Power Sector was held Thursday.
