Consult Bengal before renewing Farakka Treaty: TMC MP in Parl
The Statesman | 27 March 2025
Trinamul Congress (TMC) MP Ritabrata Banerjee on Tuesday urged the central government in Parliament to consult the West Bengal administration before renewing the Indo-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty of 1996. Set to expire in 2026, the treaty governs the sharing of Ganga water between the two nations.
Highlighting how Teesta flows through four districts of West Bengal, impacting lakhs of residents, the Rajya Sabha MP underscored that any discussions on Teesta water sharing and the Farakka Treaty should involve the West Bengal government, as the state’s populace would be directly affected by such agreements.
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Addressing the Chair, Ritabrata Banerjee said: “Through you sir, I request the Union government to consult with the government of West Bengal regarding release of Teesta water to Bangladesh and also about the renewal of the clauses of Indo-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty.”
Pointing out that reduced water flow in the Teesta could severely impact irrigation and drinking water availability in northern parts of Bengal, Ritabrata Banerjee on Tuesday emphasised that sharing Teesta waters with Bangladesh is unfeasible, as it would adversely affect farmers in those regions. The MP also highlighted noted that water diversion at the Farakka barrage has led to navigability issues at Kolkata Port and adversely affected the Sundarbans Delta due to diminished silt deposition.
“The Government of India is in the process of renewing the Indo-Bangladesh Farakka treaty 1996, which is to expire in 2026. It has huge implications for the people of our state, as far as their livelihoods are concerned. The diversion of water at the Farakka Barrage is creating navigability problems at Kolkata Port. It is highly necessary to bring it to the notice of the Union government that the river’s morphology has changed in Eastern India and Bangladesh over many years, which has deprived West Bengal and has negatively impacted the water availability in the State. Lakhs of our people have been displaced from their habitation rendering them homeless and leading to loss of livelihood. The reduced silt load in the Hooghly river has impeded the nourishment of our Sundarbans Delta,” he said.
The Rajya Sabha MP further advocated for the establishment of an Indo-Bhutan River Commission. He highlighted that flash floods from trans-boundary rivers originating in Bhutan have had devastating effects on West Bengal’s northern districts, necessitating collaborative management of these water resources.
“CM Mamata Banerjee has written to the Prime Minister thrice, highlighting that the Farakka Barrage has caused flooding and erosion in West Bengal in a big way. Water flow in river Teesta has gone down over the years and it is estimated that if any water is shared with Bangladesh, lakhs of people in the northern part of our state will be severely impacted due to inadequate availability of irrigation water. Teesta is also needed for meeting drinking water requirements for the residents in the northern part of Bengal. It is therefore not feasible to share Teesta water with Bangladesh,” he said.