India has expressed interest in Bangladesh’s Teesta river project and has signed an agreementMamata wants that West Bengal must be included in any such talksThe Teesta River originates from Sikkim and flows to Bangladesh and joins the Brahmaputra
There has been a long-standing dispute between India and Bangladesh over the water sharing of the 414 km long Teesta river originating from the Pauhunri mountain of the Eastern Himalayas, but now India has made an important agreement in Bangladesh regarding the project related to the conservation of this river. For this, India will soon send a technical team to Bangladesh. But Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is angry with this agreement. She has opposed it. She says that no such agreement can be made with Bangladesh without involving Bengal. Let us know about the dispute over the Teesta river and its water sharing and also which is this project for which the Indian government has signed an agreement with the Prime Minister of the neighboring country Sheikh Hasina, who recently came to New Delhi.
Many people might think that the Teesta river flows between Bangladesh and West Bengal but it is not so. This river passes through West Bengal. Actually the origin of this river is in Sikkim.
Question – Where does this river originate from and where does it pass through?
– Teesta River is a 414 km long river which originates from the Pahunri mountain of the Eastern Himalayas, touching Sikkim. Then this river flows through Sikkim and reaches Bengal and from there goes to Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, it merges with the Brahmaputra River. 305 km of the river is located in India and 109 km in Bangladesh. Teesta is the largest river of Sikkim. It is the second largest river in West Bengal after the Ganges.
Question – Which is this project on Teesta River for which India has signed an agreement?
– The decision to send an Indian technical team to negotiate the conservation of the Teesta river in Bangladesh is significant because China was keeping a close eye on this estimated one billion US dollar project despite New Delhi’s objections. Under this project, India is to build large reservoirs and related infrastructure to manage and conserve the water of the Teesta river. However, China is also interested in this project. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh is going to visit China next month, where she will also know China’s interest.
China has proposed to Bangladesh that it will bear 15 percent of the cost of this $1 billion project to the Bangladesh government, while the rest will be in the form of Chinese loan. However, so far this plan has not got much success in Bangladesh. Now that India has also shown interest in this project, Hasina will get a chance to avoid the pressure that she is likely to face from Beijing during her visit to China in the near future. This project will involve digging of Teesta and water management so that Bangladesh can get more water. However, India is still opposed to it due to security concerns about Chinese presence near the Bangladesh border.
Question- Why is Mamata Banerjee opposing this?
– Mamata has been opposing the water-sharing agreement for a long time. She is also blaming the Farakka Barrage for erosion, silt and floods in the state. She says that she is doing this to protect the interests of Bengal. Mamata has been opposing it even before this. The water-sharing agreement was to be signed during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Dhaka in September 2011, but West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stopped the agreement saying that this would lead to water shortage in North Bengal.
Teesta, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, is one of the 54 trans-border rivers flowing between the two countries. It flows southwards from Sikkim and northern Bengal. It becomes the primary river of the northern areas before entering Bangladesh. However, it is said that dams built by India have restricted the flow of water.
Question – Will India be able to move forward with this project due to Mamata’s opposition?
– There is little chance that the Modi government will be able to persuade Bangladesh to make radical changes on this issue despite the visit of the technical team. In India, the river is a state subject. The last agreement on water sharing between the two countries was in 1996, when the Ganga River Treaty was signed.
Despite close ties, the failure to reach an agreement on equitable Teesta water sharing has been a major irritant in India-Bangladesh relations. Bangladesh sees it as a vital national interest, while India is constrained by domestic politics in its border state of West Bengal.
Question – What is the Teesta water dispute between India and Bangladesh?
– Bangladesh wants 50 per cent of the Teesta water, especially during the dry season when the flow is significantly reduced. It is important for irrigation, fisheries and drinking water in Bangladesh.
India has proposed a 37.5 percent share for Bangladesh and 42.5 percent for India, with the remaining 20 percent for environmental flows. The Bengal state government has consistently opposed this water sharing and has never signed it.
– India plans to build canals to divert more Teesta water for irrigation in West Bengal, Bangladesh says this will further reduce the river’s flow in its territory and harm its farmers and ecosystem.
Bangladesh, conservation of water
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 25, 2024, 16:52 IST