Prof. Raihan Ahmed Tapadar :
Teesta River is a very sensitive issue for Bangladesh and India. The new Teesta Water Sharing Agreement was indeed a beacon of hope for the people of Bangladesh, but due to geopolitical reasons it has not been implemented till date. Most South Asian countries are predominantly dependent on water for agriculture. So, common rivers have no choice but to share water. The Teesta has historically been a very dangerous and erratic river. The north-western region of Bangladesh has been devastated several times during the monsoon almost every year due to floods. In the dry season, the people of this area are also deprived of irrigation facilities due to the shortage of water in the Teesta River.
Water is integrally involved in the development, prosperity and evolution of human civilization. A characteristic of water is that water flows downstream and does not respect national or administrative boundaries, moving from one country to another. Currently there are approximately 260 international rivers in the world. About 40 percent of the world’s people live in the basins of these international rivers. Since prehistoric times, water has been a source of conflict and war between different races, groups and countries. The theme of World Water Day 2024 is Peace through Water, considering the role of water in global peace, stability and prosperity. Teesta is an international river, which is part of both Bangladesh and India.
It originates in Sikkim, India, flows through West Bengal, India, enters Bangladesh through Rangpur and joins the Brahmaputra River. Later it joins the Padma and Meghna rivers and falls into the Bay of Bengal. Teesta basin covers approximately 12 thousand 159 square kilometers. This river is involved with the life and livelihood of more than three crore people in Bangladesh and India. Of these, more than two crore people live in the Teesta basin within the geographical boundaries of Bangladesh. 4 million people live in West Bengal and about 50 million in the Sikkim basin of India. That is, 70 percent of the people dependent on Teesta live in the Teesta basin in Bangladesh. The Teesta is the fourth largest river in Bangladesh, entering Bangladesh from India through Rangpur Division in the northern part of the country. Teesta’s floodplain is spread over 2,750 square kilometers. Millions of people depend on the Teesta River for agriculture, food production, fishing and domestic daily water needs and livelihoods. It is the primary source of water for the cultivation of boro rice, Bangladesh’s largest crop, and irrigates about 14 percent of the total cropland. Teesta Barrage Project is the largest irrigation project in Bangladesh. It is also dependent on Teesta water. Six districts of North Bengal namely Nilphamari, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Bogura, Gaibandha and Jaipurhat are included in this project and the area covered by it is spread over 7 lakh 50 thousand hectares.
Due to this, the water flow of Teesta River in Bangladesh has decreased significantly. These infrastructures are meeting the water demand upstream of Teesta. But it has greatly reduced the water availability of Teesta River in the downstream Bangladesh part. According to a study conducted by the Bangladesh Water Development Board, before the construction of the Ghazaldoba barrage in West Bengal, India, the average annual water flow of the Teesta at the Dalia border in Bangladesh was 6,710 cusecs. After the Ghazaldoba Barrage was commissioned in 1995, it came down to 2,000 cusecs. During the dry season the minimum flow drops from 1500 cusec to 200-300 cusec. This is much less than the requirement. Groundwater levels in the Teesta basin have dropped by about 10 meters over the past decade due to reduced surface water flow and increased use of groundwater for irrigation. Reduced water flow in the Teesta River during the dry season has adversely affected irrigation and agricultural yields. Its impact is particularly great on the production of boro rice, one of the most important crops in Bangladesh.
The most alarming thing is that the canals, ponds and reservoirs of North Bengal are drying up. Scientists believe that this is related to the lack of water in the Teesta during the dry season. If this situation continues for a long time, it may destroy the balance of the environment of northern Bengal in the future. The signing of the Teesta Water Treaty between Bangladesh and India has been going on for a long time. A draft agreement was finalized for signature after prolonged discussions between the two states on the sharing of Teesta waters. According to this agreement, Bangladesh was supposed to get 37.5 percent of the Teesta water during the dry season and 42.5 percent to India. The remaining 20 percent will be for the purpose of protecting the environment of the river.
Narendra Modi’s government has repeatedly promised to sign the Teesta Water Treaty. But despite Bangladesh’s continuous efforts, the issue has remained unresolved for over a decade. It has become a major obstacle in the development of relations between the people of the two friendly countries. Policy makers of Bangladesh and India often claim that the two friendly countries have excellent relations.
Teesta water problem is a humanitarian problem. If this is resolved, it will not only solve the water problem, but it will help increase trust, confidence, harmony and amity between the people of the two countries. A peaceful solution to the Teesta water issue can further expand and deepen the area of cooperation between the two countries in the future. New areas of cooperation such as flood control, environmental protection, electricity and energy can be helpful in undertaking various mutually beneficial projects. Rivers are not only reservoirs of water, but also a vast ecosystem that is home to biodiversity and regulates the environment of the surrounding area. Rivers are therefore not a matter of water sharing, but of integrated use and management.
(The writer is a researcher and columnist [email protected])
