Centre denies charges of Bengal govt not consulted in India-B'desh Farakka treaty

Kolkata, June 25: The Centre on Monday denied charges levelled by the West Bengal government that it was not consulted on the share of Ganges water under the India-Bangladesh Farakka treaty of 1996 which is slated to expire in 2026.

The denial came hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the latter not to take important bilateral decisions with Bangladesh, especially on Teesta River water sharing and the India-Bangladesh Farakka treaty, without involving the state government in the discussions.

Sources said that contrary to the claims of the Bengal government, the Centre sought a nominee from the West Bengal government in the 'committee' for carrying out an internal review of the India-Bangladesh treaty of 1996 on sharing Ganges water in Farakka.

The sources said that on August 25, 2023, the West Bengal government conveyed the nomination of the chief engineer (design & research) of the state irrigation and waterways directorate as a representative of the state government in the said review committee.

The sources also pointed out that on April 5, 2024, the joint secretary (works) in the state irrigation and waterways department conveyed the total demand for the next 30 years from the stretch downstream of the Farakka Barrage.

In her letter to the Prime Minister, a copy of which is available with IANS, the Chief Minister claimed that the Indian government is in the process of renewing the India-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty (1996) which is set to expire in 2026.

“It is a treaty which delineates the principles of sharing water between Bangladesh and India and as you are aware, it has huge implications for the people of West Bengal for maintaining their livelihoods as the water which is diverted at the Farakka Barrage helps maintain the navigability of the Kolkata Port,” the Chief Minister said in the letter.