Joint inspection at Farakka as Bangladesh, India push to renew Ganges water treaty

Technical experts from Bangladesh and India began a four-day meeting in Kolkata today (20 May), during which they will jointly visit the Ganges at the Farakka Barrage to measure water flow there – a fresh push to renew the 30-year river water treaty, which expires in December.

Armed with data gathered from the joint inspection sites, officials from both countries will convene in Kolkata to exchange their assessments under the 90th Technical Committee Meeting of the Joint River Commission (JRC).

The site visit to the barrage is being conducted in accordance with the provisions of the bilateral treaty signed in 1996.

Headed by member of the JRC Md Anwar Kadir, the six-member Bangladesh delegation includes Md Sajjad Hossain, Chief Engineer (Hydrology) of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, Md Abu Sayed, Director, JRC, Md Samsozzaman, Deputy Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources, Md Baky Billah, Director (South Asia) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Md Rumanuzzaman, Sub-Divisional Engineer of JRC.

Md Alamgeer Hossain, Counsellor (Political) at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, and Md Omar Faruk Akanda, Second Secretary (Political) at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, are attending as member-invitees. The composition of the Indian delegation has not yet been officially disclosed.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had last week said Bangladesh's ties with India "will depend on" a new Ganges water-sharing accord and sought immediate talks with New Delhi for an agreement in sync with Dhaka's "expectations and needs."

In January this year, a team from India's Central Water Commission, accompanied by a four-member Bangladeshi team, visited the Farakka area as part of the technical assessments related to the treaty.

The Ganga Water Treaty, signed on 12 December 1996, between India and Bangladesh, governs the sharing of Ganga water, particularly around the Farakka Barrage during the lean season, which runs from 11 March to 11 May.

Indian officials said a renewal of the 1996 treaty may not be possible for New Delhi, which favours negotiation on a new accord taking into account the increased demand for Ganges water during the lean period in the states through which it flows, depletion of the glaciers where the river originates due to climate change and greater use of groundwater, which feed the river. on both sides of the river in Indian territories.  

Currently, the arrangement provides 35,000 cusecs of water alternately for 10 days each to both countries during the lean season.