Raises concerns over Bangladesh building reservoir with Chinese help on Teesta
Special Report :
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is upset after being excluded from consultations on key decisions made between India and Bangladesh during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to India, according to a reportby India’s NDTV. The primary issue at hand is that Banerjee’s government believes its views on critical matters impacting West Bengal,particularly regarding water sharing, have not been considered before announcements were made.
“I am writing this letter in the context of the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. It seems that water-sharing issues relating to the Ganges and Teesta rivers may have been discussed during the meeting. Such unilateral deliberations and discussions without consultation and the opinion of the state government is neither acceptable nor desirable,” she wrote in a three-page letter to Modi.
The Farakka Agreement, mentioned in the joint statement issued after the meeting, is crucial for West Bengal and has been slated for renewal discussions between India and
Bangladesh is about to expire in 2026. An interim agreement pertaining to Farakka water sharing or the “Farakka Agreement” was signed on April 18, 1975by our founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and India’s Prime Minister, Morarji Desai. Subsequently,significant development came when India and Bangladesh signed the “1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.” This 30-year treaty aimed to provide a fair distribution of the Ganges River water during the dry season.
The treaty stipulated the sharing of water at Farakka with specific quantities allocated to each country based on a 10-day period formula. It included provisions for mutual consultation and cooperation to ensure the equitable distribution of water.
The Farakka Barrage is vital for diverting water from the Ganges into India’s Hooghly River, essential for the Kolkata Port and urban settlements along the Hooghly-Bhagirathi river system, including Kolkata. Banerjee is displeased that her government’s stance was not included in these deliberations.Farakka water feeds directly Bangladesh’ Padma river but indirectly impacts the water levels of Meghna and Jamuna rivers as well.
Additionally, the agreement on the Teesta River water sharing issue has also caused concern to Mamata. The Teesta Water sharing pact discussions that started have been a longstanding point of dispute, and the decision to send a technical team to Bangladesh for discussions has further upset Banerjee. The state has historically had significant reservations regarding the sharing of Teesta waters.
During the recent meeting in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina agreed to form a Joint Technical Committee to begin discussions on renewing the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.
Adding to the complexity, PM Sheikh Hasina is set to visit China in July, and China has shown interest in building a reservoir on the Teesta River in Bangladesh which will make the country less dependent on ebb and flows from the Indian side taking away a significant part of Mamata’s political leverage. Thisdevelopment could influence regional dynamics, with India keen to advance the Teesta waters pact under its Neighbourhood First and Act East policies. The Teesta reservoir project may impact existing and future hydro projects in India and impact the ecological balance of the northern parts of West Bengal.
NDTV indicated that Mamata Banerjee will write to PM Modi regarding these issues, and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs and raise the matter in Parliament just after PM Hasina’s visit to Delhi. The TMC also sought support from allies in the INDIA Bloc. Mamata claims that she has no issues-despite expressing her opposition to Teesta water sharing in the past-with Bangladesh and maintains a warm relationship with PM Sheikh Hasina. She has welcomed the introduction of the e-medical visa facility for Bangladeshi citizens, which was also announced during Sheikh Hasina’s visit.