Ganga Treaty: Bangladesh panel visits barrage

A high-level 11-member Bangladeshi delegation on Tuesday went for the spot visit to Farakka Barrage in West Bengal's Murshidabad district. The delegation has arrived for discussions on Ganga Water Treaty, which is due for renewal in 2026.

The delegation will examine the quantity of water flow from the Ganga to the Padma at Farakka, sources told The Tribune.

The delegation, led by Mohammad Abdul Hossain, a member of the Joint River Commission (JRC) comprising high-level officials, arrived in West Bengal by train.

The visit comes at the backdrop against the critical juncture in India-Bangladesh relations, which have often been strained over water-sharing disputes and broader geopolitical concerns.

The delegation will hold meetings with Jal Shakti Ministry officials from Thursday for two days (March 6 to March 7) in Kolkata. Both India and Bangladesh are set to hold the 86th meeting of the joint committee of technical experts next week regarding the renewal of the 30-year-old treaty for sharing the waters of the trans-boundary river.

The Ganga Water Treaty was signed on December 12, 1996 by then Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

It's a 30-year treaty set to expire in 2026. The treaty addresses the sharing of water from the Ganga river between the two countries. Over the years, the treaty has faced criticism, particularly from Bangladesh side, which has consistently alleged that the agreement was skewed in India’s favour, causing significant water shortages in Bangladesh.