Bangladesh team in Bengal for talks on Ganga Water Treaty

An 11-member delegation from Bangladesh arrived in Kolkata on Monday for discussions on the Ganga Water Treaty, a 30-year-old agreement set for renewal next year.

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From Kolkata, the delegation proceeded on a two-day visit to the joint observation site on the Ganga at Farakka. The delegation will return to Kolkata for meetings on March 6-7 under the aegis of the India-Bangladesh Joint River Commission (JRC), according to an official communication. The Bangladeshi delegation is led by Muhammad Abul Hossen, a JRC member.

This will be the 86th meeting of the joint committee of technical experts on the renewal of the treaty. It was signed on December 12, 1996, by then Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina for sharing the water of the trans-boundary river.

The treaty has been a subject of political tension, particularly in West Bengal, due to concerns over its impact on the river’s flow, especially during the dry season. Another issue is navigability of Kolkata port, which is affected by water availability. The sharing of water from the Farakka barrage was a core component of the treaty, said an official.

India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers and the Ganga Water Treaty defines their broad water-sharing relationship.