1 week ago
Bihar Challenges Farakka Treaty Renewal, Pressuring India’s Central Government
India and Bangladesh share water from the Ganga River under a treaty signed in 1996.
The agreement controls water sharing near the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal.
Bihar’s government says the arrangement has caused problems for the state.
It says trapped silt raises the riverbed and worsens monsoon flooding.
Bihar also says it does not have enough water during the summer.
Bihar’s ruling JD(U) is asking India’s central government not to renew the treaty.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, has sought stronger guarantees for water flowing downstream.
The central government must consider both Bihar’s needs inside India and its relationship with Bangladesh.
The treaty is due to expire in December 2026.
Bihar’s NDA government is urging the Centre not to renew the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.
JD(U) leaders say the treaty contributes to Bihar’s floods, siltation and dry-season water shortages.
The treaty governs India-Bangladesh Ganga water sharing at the Farakka Barrage until December 2026.
Bihar wants its projected water needs, silt management and state representation included in any new arrangement.
The Centre must balance Bihar’s demands with Bangladesh’s downstream concerns and broader diplomatic relations.
- Who
- Bihar’s NDA government, especially JD(U) leaders, is pressing India’s central government over the treaty; Bangladesh is the other signatory.
- What
- Bihar wants the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty not to be renewed in its current form and wants the Farakka Barrage dismantled.
- Where
- Water sharing is regulated at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal, with effects discussed in Bihar and downstream Bangladesh.
- When
- The treaty was signed on December 12, 1996, and is due to expire in December 2026.
- Why
- Bihar says the arrangement contributes to flooding, siltation and summer water shortages, while the Centre must also manage India-Bangladesh diplomatic and water-sharing concerns.
Bihar’s domestic water concerns
Downstream and diplomatic considerations
Treaty renewal
Bihar’s domestic water concerns
Bihar’s NDA government and JD(U) leaders want the Centre to reject renewal, arguing that the treaty has harmed Bihar’s interests.
Downstream and diplomatic considerations
The article does not state a final Centre position; External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has emphasized finding mutual interest and common ground in neighbourhood relations.
Effects of the Farakka Barrage
Bihar’s domestic water concerns
Bihar says trapped silt has raised the Ganges riverbed, reduced natural storage and worsened seasonal flooding in districts including Bhagalpur and Munger.
Downstream and diplomatic considerations
The barrage was built to divert water toward the Hooghly River and help maintain Kolkata Port; Bangladesh has reported downstream water shortages, soil salinity and ecological stress linked to reduced flows.
Future water-sharing framework
Bihar’s domestic water concerns
Bihar wants its projected water needs through 2050, a National Silt Management Policy and direct state representation in any future arrangement.
Downstream and diplomatic considerations
Bangladesh has sought stronger downstream guarantee clauses, creating an additional consideration for India’s diplomatic negotiations.
Key facts
- Official treaty name
- Ganges Water Sharing Treaty
- Signatories
- India and Bangladesh
- Signing date
- December 12, 1996
- Term
- A 30-year framework covering 1996–2026
- Main sharing period
- January 1 to May 31, primarily during the dry season
- Bihar’s stated concerns
- Flooding, heavy siltation and insufficient water during summers
- Barrage purpose
- Built in 1975 to divert Ganga water into the Hooghly River, flush silt and help keep Kolkata Port navigable
Quotes
Sanjay Kumar Jha
JD(U) national working president and Rajya Sabha member
“Why had Lalu Prasad not opposed the treaty in 1996 when the RJD was backing the H.D. Deve Gowda government with 22 MPs? But what the RJD says and does now is not important—we want the dismantling of the Farakka Barrage.”
indianexpress.com
“The Farakka treaty has done enormous harm to Bihar. It is also surprising that the treaty was never reviewed in the last 30 years.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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