During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two days Bangladesh visit, his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina raised the issues of Teesta River water sharing.
- Sheikh Hasina reiterated that the livelihood of “millions” of its citizens depend on the Teesta river and the country should receive a proper share of its waters. Even, some opposition leaders in Bangladesh urged PM Modi to take effective measures to resolve the issue.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a delegation of Jatiya party leaders that he will do his best to ink a treaty with Bangladesh on water-sharing of Teesta and other common rivers.
About Teesta River
- Teesta originates from the Pahunri (or Teesta Kangse) glacier above 7,068 m (Himalaya) and flows through Sikkim and West Bengal to merge with the Brahmaputra in Assam and (Jamuna in Bangladesh). The Rangpo River joins it near the town of Rangpo. The Teesta river is met by its main tributary, the Rangeet River just before the Teesta Bridge. (http://www.cwc.gov.in/tbo/about-basins)
- The river covers nearly the entire floodplains of Sikkim, while draining 2,800 sq km of Bangladesh, governing the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
- Bangladesh has sought an “equitable” distribution of Teesta waters from India, on the lines of the Ganga Water Treaty of 1996.
- In July 1983, an understanding on an ad hoc sharing of waters was reached. According to this, Bangladesh would get a share of 36 per cent of the lean season flows and India 39 per cent, while the remaining 25 per cent would remain unallocated pending further discussion. However this deal was not implemented.
- The West Bengal Chief Minister opposed an arrangement in 2011, by which India would get 42.5% and Bangladesh 37.5% of the water during the lean season, and the plan was shelved.
- There are two irrigation projects on the Teesta, a barrage at Gajoldoba in West Bengal and another at Dalia in Bangladesh, which draw water from the river to meet irrigation needs. Sikkim has also constructed some hydro-power projects across the Teesta, but these do not cause any impact on the flow downstream.
(Source: The Hindu and Indian Express)
