Renewal of India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty could hurt Bihar's interests: JD(U)'s president Sanjay Jha
The treaty is due to expire on 31 December 2026, but India and Bangladesh are yet to hold the final round of negotiations on its renewal amid ongoing political tensions between the two countries.
Janata Dal (United) national working president Sanjay Jha has opposed renewing the 1996 India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty in its existing form, arguing that the agreement has adversely affected Bihar's interests.
In an interview with The Hindu, Jha, who served as Bihar's Water Resources Minister from 2021 to 2024, said the data from the three decades since the treaty was signed showed that the state had been negatively affected.
"If you look at the data in the last 30 years of the treaty being in place, you can clearly see that the interests of Bihar have been negatively impacted."
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"If you have diplomatic issues to sort out between the two countries, my only point is that Bihar's interests, too, must be kept in mind," he said, adding that while the treaty may have helped India with international messaging, it had harmed Bihar's interests.
The treaty is due to expire on 31 December 2026, but India and Bangladesh are yet to hold the final round of negotiations on its renewal amid ongoing political tensions between the two countries.
India's Ministry of External Affairs has not yet responded to The Hindu's queries about Jha's remarks.
The Ganga Water Treaty was signed on 12 December 1996, during Sheikh Hasina's first term as Bangladesh prime minister after the Awami League returned to power.
Hasina has been living in India since 5 August 2024, following the fall of her government amid a popular uprising.
Earlier this month, Dhaka said India and Bangladesh had been holding discussions for "several weeks" over a possible visit to India by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. However, Dhaka said the atmosphere had been "vitiated" by a virtual press conference held by Hasina on 5 August at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in New Delhi.
Renewal of the Ganga treaty was expected to be among the key issues in any potential meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tarique Rahman.
According to an earlier report by The Hindu, Bangladesh's interim government, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus from August 2024 to February 2026, did not hold discussions on the treaty during its tenure.
After Tarique Rahman's election victory, Bangladesh sent a team to India in May for a Joint Rivers Commission meeting in Kolkata. The delegation also visited Farakka and carried out a technical assessment.
