Modi likely to sign Teesta deal Ganges barrage also on agenda
Sagar Biswas :
Process is going on in full swing to sign the Teesta water sharing deal during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka on June 6-7, official sources said on Friday.
At the same time, Dhaka is eagerly waiting to get green signal from India to build 161-km long Ganges Barrage, which would change the entire scenario of one-third area of Bangladesh, especially the south west region, they said.
“We are ready … we have prepared all necessary papers about the Teesta. We are very much hopeful about signing the Teesta deal during Indian’s Premier’s visit,” ANM Abdur Rahman, Additional Secretary of Water Resources Ministry, told The New Nation.
The statement of the Bangladesh government about the issue came at a time when Indian media yesterday carried out news items that Teesta treaty may not be signed during Modi’s visit.
Quoting different sources, Indian Bengali daily ‘Anandabazar’ reported that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would not sign the deal, as she fears that the northern part of West Bengal would suffer if the treaty is signed.
Foreign Ministry sources said, the issue was finalised nearly four years ago in September 2011 during the visit of the then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Dhaka. But all went in vain due to severe opposition from Mamata at the eleventh hour.
Pointing the issue, ANM Abdur Rahman said: “In this stage, it is really hard to say what will be the fate of the Teesta treaty. Now the matter depends on India. Both the parties have to be ready. However, we have not yet got any instruction from Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
If the deal is inked, Bangladesh and India would share equally the waters of the Teesta, which flows through Sikkim and West Bengal and joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh. But Mamata claimed more water from the river and agreed to give Bangladesh only 25 per cent share, which is a major concern for Bangladesh.
In this situation, an official of Bangladesh-India Joint River Commission [JRC] said, “If the two prime ministers decide, it is possible to sign the Teesta deal even at the last moment. In fact, the signing of the Teesta treaty is a political decision, especially for India.”
Meanwhile, Dhaka hopes that the issue of 161-km long Ganges Barrage would figure prominently in discussion during Modi’s visit and there will be a final outcome.
“Apart from irrigation, the south-western region of Bangladesh will be directly benefited from this project for generating about 100 megawatts of electricity and 250,000 metric tons of fish. It will be designed to retain about three billion litres of water,” ANM Abdur Rahman said.
According to officials, the Ganges Barrage would hold back rain water of the Monsoon season because of the periodic drying up of the Ganges River due to the Farakka Barrage. The costs of construction are estimated to be approximately four billion USD.
Process is going on in full swing to sign the Teesta water sharing deal during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka on June 6-7, official sources said on Friday.
At the same time, Dhaka is eagerly waiting to get green signal from India to build 161-km long Ganges Barrage, which would change the entire scenario of one-third area of Bangladesh, especially the south west region, they said.
“We are ready … we have prepared all necessary papers about the Teesta. We are very much hopeful about signing the Teesta deal during Indian’s Premier’s visit,” ANM Abdur Rahman, Additional Secretary of Water Resources Ministry, told The New Nation.
The statement of the Bangladesh government about the issue came at a time when Indian media yesterday carried out news items that Teesta treaty may not be signed during Modi’s visit.
Quoting different sources, Indian Bengali daily ‘Anandabazar’ reported that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would not sign the deal, as she fears that the northern part of West Bengal would suffer if the treaty is signed.
Foreign Ministry sources said, the issue was finalised nearly four years ago in September 2011 during the visit of the then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Dhaka. But all went in vain due to severe opposition from Mamata at the eleventh hour.
Pointing the issue, ANM Abdur Rahman said: “In this stage, it is really hard to say what will be the fate of the Teesta treaty. Now the matter depends on India. Both the parties have to be ready. However, we have not yet got any instruction from Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
If the deal is inked, Bangladesh and India would share equally the waters of the Teesta, which flows through Sikkim and West Bengal and joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh. But Mamata claimed more water from the river and agreed to give Bangladesh only 25 per cent share, which is a major concern for Bangladesh.
In this situation, an official of Bangladesh-India Joint River Commission [JRC] said, “If the two prime ministers decide, it is possible to sign the Teesta deal even at the last moment. In fact, the signing of the Teesta treaty is a political decision, especially for India.”
Meanwhile, Dhaka hopes that the issue of 161-km long Ganges Barrage would figure prominently in discussion during Modi’s visit and there will be a final outcome.
“Apart from irrigation, the south-western region of Bangladesh will be directly benefited from this project for generating about 100 megawatts of electricity and 250,000 metric tons of fish. It will be designed to retain about three billion litres of water,” ANM Abdur Rahman said.
According to officials, the Ganges Barrage would hold back rain water of the Monsoon season because of the periodic drying up of the Ganges River due to the Farakka Barrage. The costs of construction are estimated to be approximately four billion USD.
