Manjur A Chowdhury, a former chairman of Bangladesh’s National River Conservation Commission, says the 1996 India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty should be replaced with a new agreement. In an interview with The Hindu on October 6, he described the treaty as flawed. It expires in December unless both countries agree to extend it.
Why He Calls It Flawed
Chowdhury said the treaty has no guarantee clause and does not account for ecological or environmental flows. It also leaves out climate change. In his view, the treaty simply divides the river’s water, and he said that is not the right way to manage a river.
Proposal for a Three-Year Interim Treaty
Before the treaty runs out, Chowdhury said the countries should ideally agree on a short-term treaty of three years. During that period they would carry out more research and negotiate a new, lasting agreement that reflects technological and environmental developments. He made similar remarks a day earlier at a conclave in Dhaka.
Nepal Should Be at the Table
He argued that the Ganga should not be treated as an issue only between India and Bangladesh. In the lean months, the river receives a lot of snowmelt from Nepal’s Ghaghara, Gandaki and Koshi rivers, so these also need monitoring, he said. A new treaty should also protect the river’s health to prevent overexploitation.
Former Foreign Secretary Points to the Arbitration Gap
Former Foreign Secretary Farooq Sobhan, who helped negotiate the treaty in 1996 during Sheikh Hasina’s first term as prime minister, also pointed to weaknesses. He told The Hindu that the absence of an arbitration clause is still a problem. He said India had promised to build a barrage on the Padma (Ganga) inside Bangladesh as a trade-off for leaving out that clause, but it was never built.
What the Treaty Provides
The treaty was signed on December 12, 1996 for 30 years. It guarantees each country 35,000 cusecs in alternate 10-day periods during the driest stretch, from March 11 to May 10. Earlier studies of 1997 to 2016 found that Bangladesh did not receive its share in most critical dry periods.
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Talks and Political Pressure in India
Renewal talks are continuing in both countries, but key technical consultations have not yet taken place, The Hindu reported. In India, JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha has urged the government not to renew the treaty, arguing it has hurt Bihar. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar replied in a letter dated August 28 that inter-ministerial consultations led by the Jal Shakti Ministry have already taken place to gather broad views on the treaty’s future.
What Happens Next
With only about two months left, the main questions are whether India and Bangladesh can finalise a new text in time, or whether they will settle for an interim extension while talks continue.
