Bangladesh is urging India to agree on a new Ganges water-sharing deal before their treaty expires on December 12, warning that dry-season water shortages could worsen without an agreement.
The 30-year agreement was signed in 1996 and sets out how the countries share Ganges water at India’s Farakka Barrage during months when river flows are low. In Bangladesh, the river is known as the Padma. People in the Barind region say low flows have damaged crops and reduced fish catches.
Dhaka says it has sought talks but has not received a response to its formal request. India says river issues are handled through the countries’ Joint Rivers Commission. Recent reporting says the commission’s latest technical talks were held in May.
Bangladesh wants a new or revised agreement with a clearer guarantee of its water share, drawing on a safeguard in an earlier 1977 arrangement. Bangladeshi officials have also called for a deal that accounts for climate change and the needs of the wider river basin. The two sides have given somewhat different indications of progress.
Bangladesh’s water resources minister said earlier in October that work through the joint commission was continuing. The minister also expressed hope for a deal before the deadline. With the treaty’s expiry approaching, no new agreement or timetable for completing one has been announced.