[3] The idea of a dam on the Barak River for flood control in the Cachar plains was first aired under the British Raj in 1926.

In 1999, the Government of India approved a 163 metre-high dam as a multi-purpose project to serve the needs of flood control as well as hydro-electric power generation.

[6] The project is envisaged to be built on the Barak River, which originates in northern Manipur and flows southwest till Tipaimukh in the present-day Pherzawl district.

[1] After Tipaimukh, the Barak River flows north till Jirimukh, where it turns west into Assam.

[2] The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report prepared by the Agricultural Finance Corporation in 2007 calculated that 12 small villages would be submerged under the reservoir, containing 313 households and 2,027 persons.

A major part of Bangladesh's 373 haors fall in the four districts of the Sylhet Division in the Upper Meghna basin.

According S. Nazrul Islam, it is believed that the dam would lead to early submergence and delayed draining of the haors, reducing the possible cultivation period.

[13] Jaya Thakur of Observer Research Foundation believes that the main concern appears to be the fear of losing the source of water for wetland irrigation during the dry season.

In the event of an earthquake that might damage the dam, densely populated cities in Bangladesh could be swamped under water within hours.

[16] Bangladeshi experts have said the massive dam will disrupt the seasonal rhythm of the river and have an adverse effect on downstream agriculture and fisheries.