A long-standing dispute exists betweenIndia andBangladesh over the appropriate allocation, and development, of the water resources of theGanges River, which flows from northern India into Bangladesh. The issue had remained a subject of conflict for almost 35 years, with several bilateral agreements and rounds of talks failing to produce results.
However, a comprehensive bilateral treaty was signed by Indian Prime MinisterH. D. Deve Gowda and Bangladeshi Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina Wajed on 12 December 1996 in the Indian capital New Delhi. The treaty established a 30-year water-sharing arrangement and recognised Bangladesh's rights as a lower-levelriparian.[1][2][3]
Descending from India's northern plains, the Ganges river forms a boundary of 129 kilometres between India and Bangladesh and flows for 113 km in Bangladesh. AtPakaur in India, the river begins its attrition with the branching away of its firstdistributary, theBhagirathi River, which goes on to form theHooghly River. About 10 kilometres from the border with Bangladesh theFarakka Barrage, built in 1974, controls the flow of the Ganges, diverting some of the water into afeeder canal linking the Hooghly to keep it relativelysilt-free.[4]
After entering Bangladesh, the main branch of the Ganges is known as thePadma River until it is joined by theJamuna River, the largest distributary of theBrahmaputra River, which descends fromAssam andNortheast India. Further downstream, the Ganges is fed by theMeghna River, the second-largest distributary of the Brahmaputra, and takes on the Meghna's name as it enters the Meghna estuary. Fanning out into the 350 km wideGanges Delta, it finally empties into theBay of Bengal. A total of 54 rivers flow into Bangladesh from India.[5]
Indian Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi and Bangladesh's founding leaderSheikh Mujibur Rahman signed the wide-rangingIndo-Bangladeshi Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace on 19 March 1972;[4] as per the treaty, the two nations established aJoint River Commission to work for the common interests and sharing of water resources,irrigation, floods andcyclones control.[2]
TheFarakka Barrage is a dam on the Bhagirathi River located in the Indian state of West Bengal, roughly 10 km (6.2 mi) from the border with Bangladesh. India uses it to control the flow of theGanges River. The dam was built to divert Ganges River water into the Hooghly River during the dry season, from January to June, to flush out the accumulating silt which in the 1950s and 1960s was a problem atKolkata Port on the Hooghly River.[4] Bangladesh has determined that its rivers were drying up because of excess drawing of water by India.[5] In May 1974 a joint declaration was issued to resolve the water–sharing issue before the Farakka Barrage began operation.[3] This was followed by an interim agreement in 1975 to allow India to operate the feeder canals of the Barrage for short periods.[1][2]
However, India withdrew from the process of negotiations by September 1976 as both nations grew apart after theassassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the President of Bangladesh, in August 1975 during a military coup d'état, and the relatedestablishment of military rule in Bangladesh.[4] Bangladesh protested India's unilateral action at a summit of theNon-Aligned Movement (NAM), and at the 31st session of theUnited Nations General Assembly.[2] At the urging of other nations and the U.N., both India and Bangladesh agreed to resume dialogue, but with no results.[2]
Bilateral relations had improved in 1977 during the governments of the then-Prime MinisterMorarji Desai of India and the then-PresidentZiaur Rahman of Bangladesh;[4] in 1977 both leaders signed a 5-year treaty on water-sharing, but this expired in 1982 without being renewed.[1][2][3]
Bangladesh attempted to internationalise the affair by lobbying the U.N. General Assembly and theSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) without any result.[1]
The formation of anAwami League government in 1996 underSheikh Hasina Wajed, the daughter of Sheikh Mujib, led to a fresh thaw in relations and negotiations restarted. Both countries leaders met in the Indian capital on 12 December 1996 and signed a 30-year, comprehensive treaty.[1][2][3]
As per the 1996 treaty for sharing the Ganges waters atFarakka, the division is as follows:[6]
| Availability at Farakka | Share of India | Share of Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| 70,000 cusecs or less | 50% | 50% |
| 70,000 – 75,000 cusecs | Balance of the flow | 35,000 cusecs |
| 75,000 cusecs or more | 40,000 cusecs | Balance of the flow |
Both nations were able to co-operate in harnessing the water resources; the treaty also permits the construction ofbarrages and irrigation projects inKushtia and theGorai-Madhumati River in Bangladesh, draining the south-western districts and thus preserving the environment, natural and economic resources.[2]
The 1996 treaty established a long-term solution and considerably eased strains inIndo-Bangladeshi relations.[1][3] The 1996 treaty has been attacked by theAwami League's (AL) main rival, theBangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is regarded as hostile to India, but BNP did not renege from the treaty when it came to power in 2001. The BNP and other Bangladeshi political factions allege that India is drawing excessive water and the amount allocated to Bangladesh is unjust and insufficient.[1][5] India in turn complains that the water allocated to Bangladesh leaves it with less water than necessary for the functioning ofKolkata Port and theNational Thermal Power Corporation in Farakka.[5]
Other critics have also stressed environmental reasons for India to reconsider its drawing of water at Farraka. Alarming increases indeforestation anderosion at the upper levels of the Ganges River increases the deposition of silt at the lower level, which is already measured at 2 million tonnes annually, along with increasedsalinity, have led todesertification.[7] In Bangladesh, the diversion has raised salinity levels, contaminated fisheries, hindered navigation and posed a threat to water quality and public health.[8] Such silt levels are believed to be adversely affecting the Hooghly River and Kolkata Port.[1]
The flood waters from Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghana rivers joining the Sea can be harnessed by constructing acoastal reservoir to mitigateclimate change effects on both Bangladesh and India and also for achievingwater security,food security, andenergy security.[9]
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