Bihar CM urges West Bengal to open Farakka Barrage
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has requested West Bengal (WB) Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to open all gates of the Farakka Barrage due to rising water levels in the Ganga River and the ensuing flood situation in Bihar.
Choudhary spoke to Adhikari over the phone on Sunday and posted on X that opening the barrage gates would improve the river’s flow and help manage flooding in Bihar.
“Keeping in view the rising water level of the Ganga River and the flood situation in Bihar, I spoke to the Honourable Chief Minister of West Bengal, Shri Suvendu Adhikari, over the phone on Sunday and requested him to open all the gates of the Farakka Barrage,” Choudhary stated.
What will be the impact on Bangladesh?
The Farakka Barrage, built on the Ganges River, is located on the border of Bihar and West Bengal, India. When the river water crossed the danger mark due to excessive rains in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India, the country’s administration opened all the gates of Farakka to protect the dam.
As a result, the huge body of water trapped upstream enters Bangla-desh directly through the Ganges, which flows into Bangladesh as the Padma River. As soon as the open water of Farakka enters the Padma, the river water rises rapidly and due to the excess water pressure, it spreads from the Padma to other tributaries including the Gorai, Madhumati and Arial Khan.
This surge of water intruded the low-lying areas and char areas along the banks of the Padma in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Kushtia, Pabna and Shariatpur, causing floods. At the same time, the river generated strong currents, causing severe river erosion and submergence of cropland.
Meanwhile, JD(U) Member of Parliament Sanjay Jha raised concerns regarding the 1996 Farakka Barrage Treaty between India and Bangladesh. He emphasised that Bihar’s interests must be considered before any decision on the treaty’s renewal, reports ANI.
“A treaty was signed between India and Bangladesh in 1996. Who was the Chief Minister of Bihar at that time? That was when Bihar’s interests were sold out,” Jha said.
The treaty is due to complete 30 years in December, and Jha urged the central government not to renew it without taking Bihar’s interests into account.
“We have requested the government–since this treaty completes 30 years in December–not to renew it. Discussions should be held only after keeping Bihar’s interests in mind,” he added.
India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers, with the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty governing dry-season water sharing at the Farakka Barrage. The Teesta water-sharing issue remains unresolved despite several rounds of bilateral talks.
An agreement proposed in 2011 sought to allocate 42.5 per cent of Teesta waters to India and 37.5 per cent to Bangladesh, with the remaining share accounting for other considerations. However, this proposal did not materialise due to opposition from West Bengal.
