Ganges talks begins ahead of treaty expiry

The 90th meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) continued in Kolkata on Friday, with officials from both countries reviewing existing water-sharing arrangements and discussing the future of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, which is set to expire at the end of this year.

Bangladesh officials said the discussions form part of the regular review process under the framework of the joint river management mechanism between the two neighbouring countries.

Speaking to The New Nation, JRC Director Md Abu Sayed said the meeting primarily focused on reviewing the functioning of the existing agreement and assessing technical issues related to river management.

“This is a Joint Committee meeting. We are reviewing the current arrangement and examining how the mechanisms of the Ganges Water Treaty are operating,” he said.

He added that an earlier round of discussions had been held in Dhaka in April, with another session expected later this year as part of ongoing bilateral engagement on transboundary rivers.

The Bangladesh delegation recently visited Murshidabad to monitor the flow of Ganges water, particularly around the Farakka Barrage, as part of the technical review. “That is part of our responsibility,” Abu Sayed said.

Officials returned to Kolkata on Thursday to continue formal discussions. Abu Sayed added that an afternoon session on Friday would address broader issues of river water sharing and implementation mechanisms. “At this moment, we do not have any specific updates.

We will be able to brief you properly after the discussions are completed,” he said.

The three-day meeting, which began on Thursday and continues until Saturday, is being closely watched in both countries, as the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty expires on 31 December 2026. The treaty governs the distribution of dry-season flow from January to May each year.

Under the agreement, India receives 40,000 cusecs when flow exceeds 75,000 cusecs, while Bangladesh receives the remainder. Between 70,000 and 75,000 cusecs, Bangladesh receives 40,000 cusecs and India the rest. When flow drops below 70,000 cusecs, the water is shared equally.

Declining dry-season flow has become a growing concern in Bangladesh, where experts warn of environmental and economic impacts, including reduced agricultural yields, harm to fisheries, disrupted navigation, and increased salinity intrusion in coastal districts and the Sundarbans.

In response, the government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has approved the proposed Padma Barrage project, aimed at preserving dry-season water, improving irrigation, maintaining agricultural production, restoring ecological balance, and mitigating long-term salinity intrusion in vulnerable areas.

Observers note that unresolved river-sharing issues in previous years, including the Teesta agreement, were complicated by differences between New Delhi and the former West Bengal administration.

The current alignment of West Bengal with the federal government could facilitate smoother coordination on water-related negotiations.