TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
THE CONTEXT: During the recent state visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, to India, Prime Minister announced that a technical team would visit Bangladesh to discuss the conservation and management of the Teesta river.
EXPLANATION:
- This announcement has renewed speculation about the long-pending Teesta water sharing treaty, a key bilateral agreement between India and Bangladesh that has been unresolved for over a decade.
India’s Position
- Following PM’s statement, Indian Foreign Secretary clarified that the discussions between the two leaders focused more on managing the water flows within the Teesta river rather than on water sharing.
- This distinction highlights a nuanced approach to addressing the river’s ecological and management challenges without immediately delving into the contentious issue of water allocation.
West Bengal’s Concerns
- West Bengal Chief Minister expressed strong reservations about any discussions on Teesta water sharing with Bangladesh without involving the state government.
- She emphasized that sharing Teesta waters could severely impact lakhs of people in North Bengal.
- The proposed agreement has been consistently opposed, citing potential adverse effects on her state’s water resources.
- Alternative proposals have been suggested, such as sharing waters from other rivers like the Torsa, Manshai, Sankosh, and Dhansai, rather than the Teesta.
Historical Context
- India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers, making water sharing a critical bilateral issue.
- The Ganga water sharing agreement was successfully signed in 1996.
- It was followed by the construction of the Farakka Barrage.
- The Teesta water sharing issue gained prominence in the 2010s.
- In 2011, during the United Progressive Alliance-II government, India and Bangladesh nearly reached an agreement on the Teesta waters, but it fell through when Banerjee withdrew her support.
- The 2011 Proposal
- The 2011 proposal for sharing Teesta waters suggested that India would receive 42.5% of the river’s water, while Bangladesh would get 37.5% from December to March.
- The Teesta river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, originates from the Tso Lhamo Lake in north Sikkim and flows through West Bengal into Bangladesh.
- It is Bangladesh’s fourth largest trans-boundary river, with a floodplain covering 2,750 square kilometers in the country.
- However, 83% of the river’s catchment area lies in India, with the remaining 17% in Bangladesh, supporting 8.5% of its population and 14% of its crop production.
Political Considerations
- The delay in finalizing the Teesta agreement has led to domestic political challenges for the Awami League government in Bangladesh, as the opposition questions the government’s inability to secure the deal.
- In India, hydro-electric projects in Sikkim and the Teesta Barrage Project in West Bengal have made the river’s flow erratic in Bangladesh, causing floods or water scarcity.
- Amid these challenges, Bangladesh has considered China’s proposal for major dredging work on the river, but this proposal has been on hold.
Environmental and Ecological Concerns
- West Bengal CM has raised concerns about the health of the Teesta river due to hydropower projects in Sikkim, deforestation in upper catchment areas, and the impacts of climate change.
- She criticized the lack of action from India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti to restore the river’s health, especially when bilateral cooperation with Bangladesh for the river’s restoration is being proposed.
- Environmental activists have also highlighted the ecological impact of hydro-electric projects on the Teesta.
- In October 2023, a glacial lake outburst caused floods in the Teesta basin, resulting in significant loss of life and damage to the Teesta III hydroelectric dam.
International and Constitutional Mandates
- The sharing of transboundary river waters is governed by international laws, including The Helsinki Rules on the Uses of the Waters of International Rivers (1966).
- Article 253 of the Indian Constitution empowers the government to enter into any transboundary river water-related treaty with a riparian state.
Ganga Water Sharing Treaty
- The Ganga water sharing treaty with Bangladesh, signed in 1996, is up for renewal in 2026.
- The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty between India and Bangladesh, signed in 1996, is a landmark agreement that established a 30-year water-sharing arrangement for the Ganges River.
- The key points of the treaty are:
- The treaty divides the flow of the Ganges River at the Farakka Barrage between India and Bangladesh during the dry season (January 1 to May 31) based on a formula outlined in the treaty.
- The treaty guarantees that Bangladesh will receive a minimum of 35,000 cusecs (991 m³/s) of water in alternate 10-day periods during the critical period of March 11 to May 10.
- The treaty recognizes Bangladesh’s rights as a lower riparian country and aims to ensure equitable distribution of the Ganges waters.
- The treaty is renewable after 30 years by mutual consent of both countries.
- West Bengal CM has highlighted the adverse effects of this treaty on West Bengal, including changes in the Ganga’s morphology and displacement of people due to river erosion.
- She pointed out that reduced silt load in the Hooghly River has impacted the nourishment of the Sundarban delta, leading to significant ecological and livelihood challenges.
Teesta river:
- Teesta river is a tributary of the Brahmaputra (known as Jamuna in Bangladesh), flowing through India and Bangladesh.
- It originates in the Himalayas near Chunthang, Sikkim and flows to the south through West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.
- The Teesta Barrage dam helps to provide irrigation for the plains between the upper Padma and the Jamuna.
- Importance of Teesta River:
- For Bangladesh:
- Its flood plain covers about 14% of the total cropped area of Bangladesh and provides direct livelihood opportunities to approximately 73% of its population.
- For West Bengal:
- Teesta is the lifeline of North Bengal and almost half a dozen of districts of West Bengal are dependent on the waters of Teesta.
- For Bangladesh: