Ganga Water Treaty: India, Bangladesh to form joint technical committee within 3 months
India and Bangladesh are expected to form a joint technical committee within the next three months to renew the Ganga Water Treaty, which is set for renewal in 2026, The Tribune has learned.
Negotiations between the two neighbouring countries took place at the 86th meeting of the Joint Committee of Technical Experts on the renewal of the 30-year-old treaty for sharing the waters of the trans-boundary river. The meeting was held at Hotel Hyatt Regency in Kolkata, West Bengal, on Thursday and will conclude on Friday.
Sources said both sides agreed on a collaborative approach to address key issues, emphasising the need for information exchange on flood forecasting and water sharing.
This follows a high-level visit by an 11-member Bangladeshi delegation, led by Mohammad Abdul Hossain, a member of the Joint River Commission (JRC). The delegation conducted an extensive two-day spot survey of the Farakka Barrage in Murshidabad, West Bengal. Farakka is the point in India where water is discharged into Bangladesh.
Discussions also focused on water sharing during the lean season, from January to May, when the Ganga’s water levels are at their lowest, sources said.
Under the existing Ganga Water Treaty between India and Bangladesh, New Delhi can withdraw up to 40,000 cusecs of water if the availability at Farakka exceeds 75,000 cusecs. If the availability falls below 70,000 cusecs, the flow is to be divided equally between both countries. The treaty also guarantees Bangladesh a minimum of 35,000 cusecs if the flow ranges between 70,000 and 75,000 cusecs.
The treaty’s primary objective was to determine the amount of water to be released by India. As the upper riparian state, India agreed to share the Ganges water at Farakka with Bangladesh, the lower riparian state. The Farakka Barrage, located on the Bhagirathi river, is about 10 km from the Bangladesh border.
The Ganga is one of 54 rivers shared by India and Bangladesh. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to play a crucial role in the treaty’s renewal. She has also opposed the Teesta River water-sharing agreement, despite India and Bangladesh reaching an understanding on it in 2011.
