Staff Reporter :
The International Farakka Committee (IFC) has called upon both Dhaka and Delhi to renew the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and establish a treaty on the Teesta River with guarantee and arbitration clauses.
Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmed, President of the International Farakka Committee in Bangladesh, made this appeal while addressing a gathering at the National Press Club.
In a joint statement issued by the IFC, Prof. Jasim Uddin emphasised that sustainable development of the 54 common rivers shared between the two countries can only be achieved through a basin-wide integrated approach.
Highlighting the need for guarantee and arbitration clauses in water treaties, Prof. Jasim Uddin pointed out that India has such provisions in its treaties with other neighboring countries like Nepal and Pakistan.
He also cited that the successful implementation of guarantee and arbitration clauses in treaties concerning the Indus and Mahakali rivers, will have effective mutual interests.
However, he noted that the Ganges Water Treaty signed with Bangladesh has not met these terms, resulting in unfulfilled expectations and strained relations between the two countries.
The Farakka Barrage, commissioned on a trial basis in consultation with Bangladesh from April 21 to May 31, 1975, has since led to unilateral water withdrawals and environmental disasters in Bangladesh, Prof. Jasim Uddin highlighted.
He stressed the urgent need for a collaborative approach to address these issues and ensure equitable water sharing for both nations.
In 1977, a five-year water treaty was signed with a guarantee clause ensuring 80 percent water availability. However, upon the expiration of this treaty, instead of renewing it, a five-year memorandum of understanding was signed in 1982, which omitted the guarantee clause.
In 1996, a 30-year treaty for the sharing of Ganges water was signed, set to expire in 2026. Despite this treaty, Bangladesh has not received water as per its terms, nor could it
take effective action due to the absence of guarantee and arbitration clauses.
Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, urged for the renewal of this treaty and the signing of the Teesta Water Treaty during his recent visit to Delhi.
The Teesta Water Treaty was supposed to be signed in 2011 during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh.
However, due to opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the agreement remains pending.
It may be mentioned that Bangladesh faces water shortages from the Teesta River, especially during the dry season, as no water is released to Bangladesh during this period.
The press briefing was also addressed by Mostafa Kamal Majumder, convener, IFC, Sirajuddin Sathi, writer and researcher, Tamijuddin Ahmed, Dr. Nazma Ahmad, vice president of IFC Bangladesh, journalists Rafiqul Islam Azad, Sadrul Hasan, MM Badsha and Syed Shemul Parvez.
