India-Bangladesh Water Treaty: Bihar emerges as new hurdle ahead of Farakka pact renewal

New Delhi: A new hurdle has emerged in the Farakka Water Treaty with Bangladesh. No, this time the thorn in the path is not West Bengal instead Bihar has become the new hurdle. The state claims that the Farakka Water Treaty cannot be signed by undermining Bihar’s interests. Which way will the Centre move this time?

The Farakka Water Treaty was signed between India and neighbouring Bangladesh on 12 December 1996. The term of this agreement was 30 years. The Farakka Water Treaty is expiring on 12 December this year. Before that, the process of renewing the agreement will be initiated by both India and Bangladesh.

JDU is sitting on edge

However, the BJP’s alliance partner in Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s party, JDU, is standing in the way of this agreement. It claims that the Farakka Water Treaty with Bangladesh cannot be signed by harming Bihar’s interests. This demand was raised in Parliament by JDU’s Rajya Sabha leader, Sanjay Kumar Jha.

What is Bihar’s demand?

JDU claims that the Farakka Barrage was originally built to ensure an adequate water supply to the Hooghly River and Kolkata Port. However, as a result, vast areas of Bihar have been without adequate water for years. This has affected agriculture. As a result, the ruling party in Bihar has demanded that the Farakka Water Agreement should not be finalised without Bihar’s approval.

Bengal’s objection

Incidentally, the West Bengal government has also been saying for a long time that it is important to take the state’s opinion before renewing the Farakka Water Sharing Treaty because the flow of water in the Ganges decreases from January to May. West Bengal claims that if more water is released to Bangladesh during this period, irrigation, drinking water and agriculture in several districts, including Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia, may be affected.

The state also claims that due to changes in the course of the Ganga, severe river erosion is taking place in Malda and Murshidabad. Lakhs of people have lost their land and homes. Therefore, the new agreement should take this changed reality into account. The release of excess water may reduce the adequate flow in the Hooghly River and cause problems in maintaining the port.

Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly alleged that the West Bengal government was not properly involved in the Centre’s discussions with Bangladesh on the renewal of the Farakka Agreement. She said that the Ganga enters Bangladesh through West Bengal, so the state is an important stakeholder.