‘Structured mechanism’ in place to deal with Ganga Water Treaty: India

Why in news?

The MEA said the Joint Rivers Commission will handle talks on the Ganga Water Treaty, which expires on 12 December 2026.

UPSC Relevance 

Prelims: Ganga Water Treaty 1996, Farakka Barrage, Joint Rivers Commission, Ganga-Padma river system, India’s water treaties with neighbours

Mains GS1: Drainage systems; distribution of water resources

Mains GS2: India and its neighbourhood relations; bilateral agreements affecting India’s interests

What is the Ganga Water Treaty?

The Treaty on Sharing of the Ganga/Ganges Waters at Farakka is a bilateral agreement between India and Bangladesh on how to share the river’s flow at the Farakka Barrage during the dry or lean season (1 January to 31 May).

• Signed: 12 December 1996 in New Delhi by PM H.D. Deve Gowda and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina.
• Duration: 30 years; it ends on 12 December 2026. It can be renewed by mutual consent.
• Point of sharing: Flow is measured at Farakka (India) and jointly observed at Farakka and the Hardinge Bridge (Bangladesh) by a Joint Committee.
• Basis: Sharing is based on the average flow at Farakka between 1949 and 1988, calculated for every 10-day period of the lean season.
• Review: Both sides review the arrangement at five-year intervals, or earlier if needed.
• No-harm clause: India agreed to protect flows reaching Farakka by keeping upstream use to the minimum during the lean season.
• Significance: It was the first long-term water-sharing deal between the two countries and is often cited as a model of goodwill in South Asia.

Farakka Barrage 

• Farakka Barrage: Built across the Ganga in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, about 18 km from the Bangladesh border. It was commissioned in 1975.
• Purpose: To divert water through a feeder canal of about 38 km into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly to flush silt and keep Kolkata Port navigable.
• Bangladesh’s concern: Diversion reduced the lean-season flow in the Padma, which raised salinity in the south-west, affected the Gorai river and the Sundarbans, and hurt farming and fisheries.
• Course of the river: After entering Bangladesh, the Ganga is called the Padma. It joins the Jamuna (Brahmaputra) near Goalundo and then the Meghna near Chandpur before reaching the Bay of Bengal.

Joint Rivers Commission (JRC)

• Set up in 1972 under the India-Bangladesh Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace.
• It is the main bilateral body for all 54 common rivers shared by the two countries. It is headed by the water resources ministers of both sides.
• The Kushiyara interim water-sharing MoU (2022) was the first water-sharing pact signed after the 1996 treaty.
• The JRC met at ministerial level in 2022 after a gap of 12 years, which shows the irregular pace of water diplomacy.

Issues in Renewal

• Political change in Dhaka: The treaty was signed with the Awami League government; renewal now has to be negotiated with the BNP government of PM Tarique Rahman. Dhaka expects an automatic short-term renewal, but India has not confirmed this.
• Role of West Bengal: Water is a State subject, and West Bengal has raised concerns about lower flows in the Hooghly, siltation at Farakka, bank erosion and floods in Malda and Murshidabad.
• Falling lean-season flows: Bangladesh has complained that it often gets less than its share in the driest weeks. Upstream use in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and climate change add to the pressure.
• No minimum guarantee clause: The treaty has no arbitration or dispute-settlement mechanism and no firm guarantee for Bangladesh in very low-flow years.
• Linked issues: The pending Teesta agreement (draft ready since 2011) and Bangladesh’s interest in a Chinese-backed Teesta project complicate the picture.
• Bangladesh’s own plan: Dhaka has long proposed a Ganges (Padma) Barrage at Pangsha in Rajbari district to store lean-season water.

Way Forward

• Timely renewal: An interim extension can avoid uncertainty while a new treaty is negotiated.
• Bring West Bengal on board: Centre-State consultation, as needed under federal practice, will make any deal durable.
• Update the formula: Use the latest flow data and climate projections instead of the 1949-88 average; add a minimum guarantee and a dispute-settlement clause.
• Basin-level approach: Experts suggest moving from bilateral sharing to joint basin management, including Nepal for storage in the upper catchment.
• Package diplomacy: Progress on the Ganga and Teesta together can rebuild trust and limit China’s role in Bangladesh’s water projects.

India’s Major Water Treaties with Neighbours 

Practice MCQ 

Q1. With reference to the Ganga Water Treaty between India and Bangladesh, consider the following statements:

1. It covers the sharing of the Ganga waters at Farakka throughout the year.
2. It was signed for a period of 30 years.
3. It guarantees each country 35,000 cusecs in alternate 10-day periods during the driest part of the lean season.
4. It provides for compulsory arbitration by the World Bank in case of disputes.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Answer: (b)

Explanation: Statements 2 and 3 are correct. Statement 1 is incorrect because the treaty covers only the lean season (1 January to 31 May). Statement 4 is incorrect because the treaty has no arbitration clause; differences go to the Joint Committee, the JRC and then to the two governments.

Q2. Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: The Farakka Barrage diverts part of the Ganga’s flow into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river.

Statement-II: The diversion was meant to reduce siltation and keep Kolkata Port navigable.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I

(c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Answer: (a)

Explanation: The barrage was built mainly to push more water into the Hooghly through a feeder canal, which flushes silt and keeps the Kolkata Port channel navigable.

Mains Practice Question 

“The Ganga Water Treaty of 1996 was a landmark in India-Bangladesh relations, but its renewal faces new hydrological and political realities.” Discuss the key provisions of the treaty and the challenges in hydrodiplomacy with regard to Bangladesh. (10 marks, 150 words)

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