India to weigh ties in Ganges Treaty renewal

Dhaka has expressed optimism that ongoing bilateral discussions with India regarding the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty would lead to a positive outcome, keeping the bilateral relations in mind.

Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said discussions on the future of the treaty were progressing through established bilateral channels and stressed that not all aspects of the negotiations were visible publicly.

“Our bilateral discussions with India on the Ganges Treaty are continuing. We believe that through these discussions India understands, and is able to understand, the importance of the Ganges Treaty and the importance of the waters of the Ganges,” she said.

“India will take decisions keeping in mind that our bilateral relations will not be harmed in any way,” she emphasised.

“We believe that the process is moving in a positive direction. There is not much time left before the Ganges Treaty expires, but the team and committee formed by the Prime Minister are working with India on this issue,” she added.

Asked to explain what she meant by saying the negotiations were moving in a “positive direction”, the state minister said, “There is nothing further to explain. We hope that India will understand the importance of the Ganges Treaty and move forward accordingly.”

The 30 year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed on 12 December 1996, is due to expire in December this year unless both countries agree to renew or replace it.

The agreement established a formula for sharing the dry season flows of the Ganges at the Farakka Barrage during the period from 1 January to 31 May each year.

The treaty has long been regarded as a milestone in bilateral relations, providing a framework for sharing one of the region’s most important trans-boundary rivers while helping to reduce tensions over water distribution during the lean season.

Under the agreement, water allocations are determined according to the volume of flow measured at Farakka.

Under the agreement, India receives 40,000 cusecs when the water flow exceeds 75,000 cusecs, while Bangladesh receives the remaining flow. If the flow remains between 70,000 and 75,000 cusecs, Bangladesh receives 40,000 cusecs and India gets the rest. When the flow drops below 70,000 cusecs, both countries share the water equally.

With the agreement approaching its expiry, Bangladesh has repeatedly emphasised the importance of renewing the treaty to ensure predictability in water sharing and safeguard the interests of millions of people who depend on the river for agriculture, fisheries, navigation and livelihoods.

The issue also figured prominently during the 90th meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) continued in Kolkata in May.

Officials from both countries reviewed the implementation of existing water-sharing arrangements and discussing the future of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.

Bangladesh officials who attended the meeting said the current discussions are part of a regular review process under the framework of the joint river management mechanism between the two neighbouring countries.

Speaking to the New Nation at that time, Director of the Joint Rivers Commission Md Abu Sayed said the meeting was essentially aimed at 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 existing arrangement and examining how the existing mechanism of the Ganges Water Treaty is functioning,” he said.

However, the issue of declining dry-season water flow has become increasingly sensitive in Bangladesh, where experts and policymakers have repeatedly raised concerns over the environmental and economic impact of reduced freshwater entering the country through the Ganges system.

Bangladesh has often expressed concern that upstream diversion through the Farakka Barrage has contributed to lower river flow during the dry months, affecting agriculture, fisheries, navigation and ecological balance in the south-western region.

Apart from it, reduced freshwater flow has accelerated salinity intrusion in coastal districts and parts of the Sundarbans, posing risks to biodiversity and livelihoods.

Against this backdrop, the BNP government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has approved plans for the proposed Padma Barrage project, aimed at preserving water during the dry season and improving irrigation capacity in southern Bangladesh.

Government said that the project will help maintain agricultural production, restore ecological balance and reduce the long-term impact of salinity intrusion in vulnerable coastal areas.