The 90th meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) began in Kolkata today (Thursday), with the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty emerging as the key issue on the agenda. The three-day meeting comes as the 30-year treaty, signed in 1996, is set to expire on December 31 this year.
A six-member Bangladeshi delegation arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday to attend the talks. The delegation is being led by Joint Rivers Commission member Mohammad Anwar Kabir. Representatives from Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions in India are also participating. India’s side is being led by officials from the Ministry of Water Resources and the West Bengal irrigation department.
The Ganges water dispute dates back to the construction of the Farakka Barrage in India in 1975. Bangladesh has long argued that reduced water flow during the dry season has negatively affected agriculture, fisheries, navigation, and the environment in the country’s southwestern region.
After years of negotiations, the two countries signed the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty on December 12, 1996. Under the agreement, water from the Ganges River is distributed between January and May based on the river’s flow at the Farakka point.
According to the treaty, if water flow exceeds 75,000 cusecs, India receives 40,000 cusecs and Bangladesh gets the remainder. If the flow is between 70,000 and 75,000 cusecs, Bangladesh receives 40,000 cusecs. When the flow falls below 70,000 cusecs, both countries share the water equally.
Officials and experts consider this meeting highly significant because it is the last JRC meeting before the treaty expires. Climate change, declining river flow, and growing upstream water demand are expected to make future negotiations more challenging.
As part of the visit, the Bangladeshi delegation will also inspect and measure water flow at the Farakka Barrage area in Murshidabad.