New Delhi: After putting the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan on hold, is India considering a review of the Ganga Water Treaty (GWT) with Bangladesh?
The GWT, signed between the two countries in 1996, will expire in 2026. Sources said that India has told Bangladesh that the treaty will have to be renegotiated keeping in mind river dynamics and growing demand for water in the country.
The period of the renewed treaty will also be shortened to 10-15 years, an official said.
The GWT was signed on December 12, 1996 on sharing of water, particularly around the Farakka Barrage during the lean season. The last review meeting was held in May
“We expressed our views regarding the increasing need for water to support domestic development, which will influence the terms of the new treaty,” an official from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
he Farakka Barrage was built in 1975 to continuously divert 40,000 cusecs of water from the Ganga into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly system that flows past Kolkata. This was important for the port facilities in Kolkata and Haldia.
In 1977, India agreed to share waters with Bangladesh for the first time. The GWT came 19 years later.
The GWT resulted in reduced flow of water to the Bhagirathi-Hooghly system causing problems such as slope failure, bed erosion, and heavy siltation. The drafts at the ports also reduced considerably, raising the need for dredging. NTPC also faced a water shortage at its power plants.
Under the GWT, 35,000 cusecs of water is to flow, alternately for 10 days each to both countries, during the lean season that lasts from March 11 to May 11. India now requires 30,000 to 35,000 cusecs more during the same period to meet its emerging requirements.
West Bengal has, for long, been complaining about this water sharing arrangement. Bihar has also said that it requires more water to meet drinking and irrigation needs.
The growing mistrust between India and Bangladesh after the 2024 coup has worsened the situation. India now believes that Bangladesh is not doing enough to maintain goodwill between the two countries that was the basis of the treaty. Bangladesh’s growing proximity to Pakistan and China is a matter of concern for India.
