The visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India in end June this year raised the Teesta water sharing issue again in public domain with strong opposition from the Government of West Bengal for various reasons.

The Centre is willing to send a technical team to visit Bangladesh to discuss “conservation and management of Teesta river”, it was reported. The West Bengal Government is of the view that so far, water sharing with Bangladesh has changed the Ganga’s morphology and affected lakhs of people in West Bengal owing to river erosion, and similar consequences are expected in the Teesta case as well. Teesta is one of the 54 rivers on the India Bangladesh border. Of these, there is already a water sharing agreement (1996-2026) on the Ganga river.

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The sharing of water on other important rivers such as Teesta, Dharla, Dudhkumar in West Bengal, and Feni, Manu, Muhurt, Khowel, Gumti in Tripura is yet to be decided for various reasons. The origin of Teesta river can be traced in Sikkim. The river flows through Jalpaiguri town in West Bengal and joins the Brahmaputra river at Teestamukh in Bangladesh. The drainage area of Teesta is about 12,000 sq km, of which 89 per cent lies in Indian territory. There are hydroelectric projects in Sikkim. Thus there is no consumptive use of water and no effect on monsoon flows. Teesta Barrage, 90 km upstream of the Indo-Bangladesh border at Gajoldoba in Jalpaiguri, was constructed by West Bengal while Bangladesh has constructed the Doani/Dalia barrage downstream, 15 km from the international boarder.

However, during the period from November to April, shortage of water for irrigation occurs. In July 1983, India and Bangladesh reached an understanding for ad hoc sharing of Teesta water flows during the dry season: an allocation of 39 per cent for India, an allocation of 36 per cent for Bangladesh and the remaining 25 per cent unallocated. However, no agreement has been reached. Between the two countries past discussions for reaching an agreement on the interim sharing of Teesta river were on the following lines:

(1) during lean season, Teesta river flow should be measured jointly at three locations i.e. at Indian barrage at Gajoldoba, at Bangladesh barrage at Dalia, and downstream at Kunia, Bangladesh;

(2) after the collection of data the 90 per cent dependable flow data in the Teesta river should be worked out;

(3) after deduction of environmental flow and 450 cusec for its use, India should release water at Gajoldoba barrage in such a way that 50 per cent of the water available at Gajoldoba should go to Dalia barrage in Bangladesh. This arran gement was considered as a feasible proposition because of geological conditions which cause about 25 per cent water regeneration between Gajoldoba barrage (India) and Dalia barrage (Bangladesh). It would ensure that the West Bengal Government would have to release only 25 per cent of water available at Gajoldoba, which when added to 25 per cent regeneration, would result in receipt of water by Bangladesh equivalent to half of the water available at Gajoldoba.

Unfortunately, the Government of West Bengal is not agreeable to this proposition as they are agreeable to share only 25 per cent of available water at Gajoldoba plus the river flow (about 8 per cent). The State Government feels that the proposed formulation is vague as there could be years when regeneration of water between Gajoldoba and Da lia may not be 25 per cent; in that situation committing half the water available at Gajoldoba may affect their Teesta barrage project in the eastern region involving irrigation potential of 9.22 lakh ha and operation of 67.5 megawatt of hydropower.

In any resolution for international water sharing, the underlying international principles call for adopting an equitable, non discriminatory guiding principle for sharing of water resources as per The Helsinki Rules (1966) and UN Water Course Convention (1987). All riparian states should cooperate on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual benefit, territorial integrity and good faith in order to attain optimal utilization of any international water course. Unfortunately, India, Bangladesh and China are yet to ratify the 1987 UN Water Convention. In fact, there is a need to resolve the Teesta river water sharing problem following these UN guidelines. The Indian Constitution under Article 253 has given powers to Parliament to make any Law for any part of territory of India to implement any treaty, agreement with anyother country. Before Parliament enters into any such water sharing treaty, there is a need for mutual beneficial solution between the affected states such as West Bengal.

A political consensus between the Union government and the Government of West Bengal is required in this regard. The controversy on Teesta river water sharing has been going on for the last few years. Bangladesh has raised the issue of Teesta river due to non-release by India from its barrage at Gajoldoba in lean season while the West Bengal government claims the availability of less water over there leading to shortfall. Collection of water data at Gajoldoba barrage and at Dalia barrage should be the basis for examining the claims of Bangladesh and West Bengal relating to water related information. The hard data on the ground must show that India (especially West Bengal) will not be a loser with Teesta river water sharing arrangements, especially assuring its non-detrimental impact on the Teesta river project.

There is a need to gather, analyse, and share technical data by India and Bangladesh which should convince both the countries (and West Bengal) about the efficacy of a mutually beneficial solution. Cooperative water management fosters, in the case of transboundary water basins, cross border harmony and cooperation. Conserving and managing a water-related ecosystem plays a critical role

The writer is a Distinguished Fellow, TERI, New Delhi and a former Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Govt. of India