Delhi Assures: Dhaka expects renewed Ganges Water Treaty
Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :
Bangladesh is hopeful of the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty, a 30-year agreement with India which would be expired next year, and both sides, according to sources, are preparing papers for it.
According to Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), a significant meeting between Dhaka and Delhi is going to take place in Delhi on September 9 to discuss the renewal of the Gages Water Treaty, signed in 1996 between the two countries.
Officials from the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) of both sides will attend the talks in the Indian capital.
A technical delegation from Dhaka, led by JRC Member Mohammad Abul Hossain, will join the meeting, where the central agenda will be extending the water-sharing agreement on the Ganges, a transboundary river.
“We are going to Delhi on September 8 and the meeting would be held on next day. We will talk about the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty. Besides, we would assess whether we are getting fair share of water according to the agreement,” Abul Hossain told the New Nation on Thursday.
About the expiry of the treaty, he said, “The agreement will end next year.
We will get water from January to May as per the deal.”
“We are hopeful the treaty would be renewed. Indian side has assured us both officially and unofficially that the agreement would be renewed,” he said.
Bangladesh and India meet twice a year to review Ganges water distribution. Earlier in March, a JRC session took place in Delhi, followed by another in Kolkata that included the 86th meeting of the Joint Committee on Ganges Water Sharing at Farakka. The 85th meeting was held in Dhaka last November.
According to the agreement, the treaty guarantees Bangladesh a minimum flow of 35,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water in alternate 10-day cycles during this critical period.
The treaty is set to expire in 2026, and both countries are preparing for its renewal, which will likely involve addressing ongoing issues like environmental impacts from the Farakka Barrage and the effects of climate change.
The current treaty, signed by then Indian Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has a 30-year term. Both governments announced in June 2024 that negotiations to renew the accord had begun.
Despite having 54 transboundary rivers, Bangladesh and India have only one formal water-sharing agreement, the Ganges Water Treaty.
Asked about if there is no agreement in effect how Bangladesh would get water, Abul Hossain said, “If there is no agreement, then water flow becomes volatile. For example, we don’t have Teesta River agreement, the water flow fluctuate.”
“When the water flow reduces in Teesta River, we write to India or raise voice to increase the water flow. Then the matter is under their consideration,” he added.
The Teesta River issue remains unresolved due to opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
At a Foreign Office Consultation in Dhaka last December, the foreign secretaries of the two countries also underlined the urgency of renewing the Ganges Water Treaty as its expiry date draws closer.
Then Foreign Affairs Secretary Md Jashim Uddin, however, emphasised the importance of initiating the renewal process of the treaty before expiry.
The JRC is optimistic that the Ganges Water Treaty would be renewed as there is no clause to unilaterally refrain from the agreement.
According to Article VII, the Joint Committee shall be responsible for implementing the arrangements contained in this Treaty and examining any difficulty arising out of the implementation of the above arrangements and of the operation of Farakka Barrage.
Any difference or dispute arising in this regard, if not resolved by the Joint Committee, shall be referred to the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission. If the difference or dispute still remains unresolved, it shall be referred to the two Governments which shall meet urgently at the appropriate level to resolve it by mutual discussion.
On the other hand, Article IX delineates: Guided by the principles of equity, fairness and no harm to either party, both the Governments agree to conclude water sharing Treaties/Agreements with regard to other common rivers.
According to Article XI, for the period of this Treaty, in the absence of mutual agreement on adjustments following reviews as mentioned in Article X, India shall release downstream of Farakka Barrage, water at a rate not less than 90% (ninety percent) of Bangladesh’s share according to the formula referred to in Article II, until such time as mutually agreed flows are decided upon.