Latest news with #GangesWaterSharingTreaty
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
After suspending Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, India now eyes changing Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with Bangladesh
The water-sharing agreement of 1996 between India and Bangladesh was established to resolve disputes regarding the Farakka water allocation. (AI image) Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with Bangladesh to be revised? India is exploring various alternatives to modify and reassess a significant agreement with Bangladesh regarding the distribution of Ganga waters, following its decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. The agreement for sharing Ganga waters, called the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, expires in 2026, marking 30 years since its implementation. While renewal requires mutual agreement, New Delhi is eyeing a fresh treaty that addresses its present developmental requirements, sources told ET. What is the Ganga water agreement between India and Bangladesh? The agreement, which was formalised in 1996 when Sheikh Hasina began her first tenure as Bangladesh's Prime Minister, established a framework for distributing Ganga's flow at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal during the critical dry period from January 1 to May 31 annually. Also Read | China plays hardball! After choking rare earth magnets supply, China blocks important agriculture-related shipments to India; continues exports to others The water-sharing agreement of 1996 between India and Bangladesh was established to resolve disputes regarding the Farakka water allocation. The discord arose following the 1975 activation of the Farakka barrage, which channelled water from the Ganges to the Hooghly River to ensure the Calcutta port remained navigable. The agreement established terms between India, the upstream nation, and Bangladesh, the downstream nation, for sharing Ganges water at Farakka - a barrier constructed on river Bhagirathi, approximately 10 kilometres from Bangladesh's border. The Farakka Barrage's construction facilitated a 40,000 cusecs water diversion into a feeder canal serving the Kolkata Port Trust. The current protocol allocates 35,000 cusecs of water alternately to both nations for 10-day periods during the lean season from March 11 to May 11. Sources told the financial daily that India seeks an additional 30,000 to 35,000 cusecs during this period to address its growing needs. There exists a necessity to reconsider the agreement to achieve an ideal equilibrium in water distribution between West Bengal and Bangladesh. According to these sources, India seeks to modify the treaty to accommodate its requirements for irrigation, harbour maintenance, and electricity production. The West Bengal administration reportedly supports the Central government's position, considering that the treaty's existing provisions are insufficient for their requirements. Also Read | India bleeds Pakistan dry: Water at 'dead' levels in Pakistan's dams; bigger Indus river plans in the works - top points to know Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
India now looking to amend Ganges Treaty with Bangladesh
New Delhi: After placing the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in abeyance, India is considering various options to review and amend a landmark treaty with Bangladesh on sharing waters of Ganga. The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty will expire in 2026, three decades after it was signed. The pact must be renewed by mutual consent though New Delhi is looking for a new treaty that reflects its current development needs, ET has learnt. The treaty, signed in 1996 during Sheikh Hasina's first term as Bangladesh PM, laid out a formula to divide the flow of the Ganges at Farakka Barrage in West Bengal during the crucial dry season from January 1 to May 31 every year. People said there is a need to rethink the treaty to ensure optimum balance in water sharing between West Bengal and Bangladesh. India is seeking a revision of the treaty as per its requirements of irrigation, port maintenance, and power generation, the people said. The 1996 treaty's aim on sharing the waters at Farakka was to settle differences over entitlement to the river's water flows between India and Bangladesh. These differences emerged after the commissioning of the Farakka barrage in 1975 to divert water from the Ganges to the Hooghly River to maintain the Calcutta port's navigability. Live Events Under the treaty, the upper riparian state, India, and lower riparian, Bangladesh, agreed to share the Ganges water at Farakka - a dam built on river Bhagirathi, around 10 km from the Bangladesh border. The Farakka Barrage was built to divert 40,000 cusecs of water into a feeder canal for the Kolkata Port Trust. Under the current arrangement, 35,000 cusecs of water are provided alternately for 10 days each to both countries during the lean season - from March 11 to May 11. India is desiring 30,000 to 35,000 cusecs more during the same period to meet its emerging requirements, people said. The West Bengal government is also understood to share the Centre's stand on the issue and is of the opinion that the current provisions of the treaty do not meet its requirements.
