[🇧🇩] India's Water Terrorism Against Bangladesh

[Cryptonian]

Nope. You should learn more about the topic.

Teesta Water Sharing Agreement - An Obstacle in the India-Bangladesh Bilateral Relationship

Teesta water dispute has been going on for many decades. Successive Governments were unable to strike a final deal on the water-sharing agreement. Half-a dozen districts of West Bengal and more than 70% of the population in Bangladesh is dependent on Teesta river. For UPSC 2023 preparation...

byjus.com

1. Teesta is a 414 km long river flowing from India to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh. Almost half a dozen districts in West Bengal is dependent on this river.
2. Teesta river provides livelihood to approximately 73% of Bangladesh population as per a report furnished by Asia Foundation in 2013.
3. In 1983 a deal was proposed for equitable sharing but the implementation hit a roadblock. The mean annual flow of the river is 60 billion cubic metres. A significant amount of it flows during the monsoon season i.e. between June to September. During lean season i.e. from October to May, the flow is only 500 million cubic metres per month.
4. In the month from December to March, Bangladesh wants 50% of the water supply, whereas India has claimed a share of 55%.
5. In 2011, the agreement did not fructify due to objections from West Bengal Chief Minister. As per the constitution of India, Water is a state subject and approval of all the stakeholders is required for the deal to go ahead.
6. In 2019 External Affairs Minister of India had a meeting with his Bangladesh counterparts and they were still unable to reach a consensus on the water-sharing agreement.

@Saif must read above part

Mamata stalls Teesta water sharing agreement yet again | India News - Times of India

India News: It is unlikely that Sheikh Hasina will get India to sign the Teesta water sharing treaty during her present tenure as the prime minister of Bangladesh

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Nope. You should learn more about the topic.

Teesta Water Sharing Agreement - An Obstacle in the India-Bangladesh Bilateral Relationship

Teesta water dispute has been going on for many decades. Successive Governments were unable to strike a final deal on the water-sharing agreement. Half-a dozen districts of West Bengal and more than 70% of the population in Bangladesh is dependent on Teesta river. For UPSC 2023 preparation...

byjus.com

1. Teesta is a 414 km long river flowing from India to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh. Almost half a dozen districts in West Bengal is dependent on this river.
2. Teesta river provides livelihood to approximately 73% of Bangladesh population as per a report furnished by Asia Foundation in 2013.
3. In 1983 a deal was proposed for equitable sharing but the implementation hit a roadblock. The mean annual flow of the river is 60 billion cubic metres. A significant amount of it flows during the monsoon season i.e. between June to September. During lean season i.e. from October to May, the flow is only 500 million cubic metres per month.
4. In the month from December to March, Bangladesh wants 50% of the water supply, whereas India has claimed a share of 55%.
5. In 2011, the agreement did not fructify due to objections from West Bengal Chief Minister. As per the constitution of India, Water is a state subject and approval of all the stakeholders is required for the deal to go ahead.
6. In 2019 External Affairs Minister of India had a meeting with his Bangladesh counterparts and they were still unable to reach a consensus on the water-sharing agreement.

I have explained everything in detail in my various post. Read it before passing on judgement.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

China controls most of India's main rivers through Tibet. Can China pull its leverage on India too?

The rivers which originates from Tibet has little catchment area in Tibet. More than 80% waters comes from Indian catchment area.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Nope. You should learn more about the topic.

Teesta Water Sharing Agreement - An Obstacle in the India-Bangladesh Bilateral Relationship

Teesta water dispute has been going on for many decades. Successive Governments were unable to strike a final deal on the water-sharing agreement. Half-a dozen districts of West Bengal and more than 70% of the population in Bangladesh is dependent on Teesta river. For UPSC 2023 preparation...

byjus.com

1. Teesta is a 414 km long river flowing from India to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh. Almost half a dozen districts in West Bengal is dependent on this river.
2. Teesta river provides livelihood to approximately 73% of Bangladesh population as per a report furnished by Asia Foundation in 2013.
3. In 1983 a deal was proposed for equitable sharing but the implementation hit a roadblock. The mean annual flow of the river is 60 billion cubic metres. A significant amount of it flows during the monsoon season i.e. between June to September. During lean season i.e. from October to May, the flow is only 500 million cubic metres per month.
4. In the month from December to March, Bangladesh wants 50% of the water supply, whereas India has claimed a share of 55%.
5. In 2011, the agreement did not fructify due to objections from West Bengal Chief Minister. As per the constitution of India, Water is a state subject and approval of all the stakeholders is required for the deal to go ahead.
6. In 2019 External Affairs Minister of India had a meeting with his Bangladesh counterparts and they were still unable to reach a consensus on the water-sharing agreement.

Any state government will show its concerns but it is ultimately between two nations to come to an agreement. State government may have its say but the ultimate power will be with central government.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Mentioning that not only Teesta, rather, India built dams in the upstreams of 54 transboundary rivers, Mirza Fakhrul said, “India generates electricity by withdrawing water through dams, but our farmers could not produce grains due to lack of water, our fishermen could not catch fish in the river. All the people living along the riverbank have been facing this unbearable situation. That is why this call to save Teesta River is a call from our heart.”

Which dam has India build over Ganges. tell me the name of dam. I want to increase my knowledge. So far as I know, India uses Ganges as water way from Uttarakhand up to BD. There is no dam inbetween. If it is there, BD friends in add to my general knowledge.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

China wants early start of Teesta project

Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Tuesday said that China was aware of the hardship of people living on the Teesta banks and wanted the planned development project on the trans-boundary river to start soon.

www.newagebd.net

China wants early start of Teesta project
Staff Correspondent 18 February, 2025, 23:47

View attachment 14555
File photo

Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Tuesday said that China was aware of the hardship of people living on the Teesta banks and wanted the planned development project on the trans-boundary river to start soon.

Addressing a media briefing at the Chinese embassy in Dhaka, he said China was ready to provide assistance in the implementation of the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, which was hanging in balance as India showed its willingness to support the same during the Sheikh Hasina government in the past year.

He said that China was willing to implement the Teesta project in phases under the government-to-government cooperation and offered to begin the project with flood protection work in 2021.

‘We did not get any feedback yet to implement the Teesta project under the G-to-G cooperation,’ the Chinese envoy said.

Responding to a question, Yao Wen said that China was awaiting response from the Bangladesh side regarding the implementation of the project over the River Teesta flowing through the country’s northern districts from upper riparian India.

‘We are ready to provide assistance in the implementation of the project,’ he said.

When his attention was drawn to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s two-day ‘Teesta River protection movement’ in Rangpur division ending on the day, the Chinese ambassador said that they were aware of the hardship of the people living on the Teesta banks.

‘We want the project start soon—either by China or by Bangladesh herself…It’s Bangladesh’s project,’ Yao Wen said.

Sharing the outcomes of Bangladesh foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain’s recent visit to China, the Chinese ambassador said that China was awaiting a specific proposal for establishing a hospital in Dhaka while the first group of patients from Bangladesh would leave for Kunming this month before Ramadan where three top ranking hospitals were already dedicated for Bangladesh.

He said that travel agencies concerned would offer ‘package service’ incorporating visa processing and all other costs.

Asked about Bangladesh’s request for lowering interest rate for Chinese loans, he said that their interest rate was not more than 2–3 per cent and the rate was universal. ‘China does not attach any conditions,’ he said, adding that it was also cost-effective.

Regarding China’s position on Rohingya crisis at present as international funds for the displaced people sheltered in Bangladesh was diminishing, Yao Wen said that China would continue to help in repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar.

He said that Touhid Hossain’s bilateral talks during the official visit to China in January was the first high-level meeting, effectively advancing the relations between the two countries after the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus took over following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina on August 5.

During the regime of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, India in May past year expressed its willingness to support a mega development project on the Teesta inside Bangladesh, where China had already shown its interest and completed a survey there, which led the negotiation to a stalemate.

Later in June 2024, India announced that it would send a technical team to Bangladesh to discuss ‘conservation and management of the Teesta River in Bangladesh’ as the bilateral talks between Hasina and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, then her Indian counterpart, ended in New Delhi without any breakthrough in the long pending water sharing deal on the common river.

New Delhi has long been foot-dragging on the Teesta water-sharing treaty with Dhaka, adversely affecting the lives and livelihoods of the people in the Rangpur region.

Originating in Sikkim in India and entering Bangladesh through Lalmonirhat, the 315-kilometre-long Teesta travels more than 150 kilometres through half a dozen other districts, including Rangpur, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Kurigram, before merging with the River Jamuna at Fulchhari.​

BD can take help of China for Tista water management.

 

[Saif]

Teesta plan with China gains pace

Under the deal, POWERCHINA will prepare a concept paper by December and conduct a feasibility study in 2026

www.thedailystar.net

Teesta plan with China gains pace

Photo: S Dilip Roy/Star/ File

After years of delays and uncertainty, the long-awaited Teesta River project has finally resumed its initial work, bringing renewed hope to communities along its banks. The project, if implemented, will curb bank erosion, reclaim land, and store floodwater for use during the dry season.

On January 29, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Chinese state-owned POWERCHINA signed an extension to a memorandum of understanding, pushing the Teesta Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project forward.

Under the deal, POWERCHINA will prepare a concept paper by December and conduct a feasibility study in 2026. After that, the Teesta project will be finalised, according to Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

"We have agreed to give China two years to complete the two tasks under the project," Rizwana told The Daily Star.

While the project's financing remains uncertain, Rizwana said the final cost will depend on the feasibility study. "We certainly expect support from our development partners, and we hope China will step forward," she said.

Early estimates suggest the project could cost $1 billion.

A FRUSTRATING HISTORY OF NEGOTIATIONS

Bangladesh has struggled for years to secure an agreement with neighboring India on the sharing of Teesta River waters. An initial deal was finalised during the tenure of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and was scheduled to be signed in 2011. However, opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who argued it would negatively impact water availability in her state, led to the deal's collapse.

Frustrated by the continued impasse, Bangladesh signed a non-binding MoU with POWERCHINA in 2016 to explore an alternative approach to managing the river's challenges.

At the time, POWERCHINA proposed a comprehensive river management plan, covering bank erosion control, flood management, disaster reduction, land reclamation, transportation, and ecosystem restoration. The initiative also aims to mitigate social and environmental impacts while fostering economic development in affected communities.

Key components of the project include dredging 140 million cubic metres of sediment, reclaiming 171 square kilometres of land, repairing 110 kilometres of embankment, constructing 124 kilometres of new embankments, and developing 224 kilometres of roads. The plan also envisions transportation and jetty facilities at 82 locations.

Currently, POWERCHINA is reviewing its original proposal before launching the feasibility study, according to an official at the Ministry of Water Resources.

THE RIVER'S DECLINE

The Teesta originates in Sikkim, India, and enters Bangladesh through Dimla Upazila in Nilphamari, eventually merging with the Brahmaputra River in Gaibandha. Of its 115-kilometre stretch in Bangladesh, 102 kilometers lie downstream of the Teesta Barrage, a key water control structure.

On November 14, Bangladesh recorded an upstream water flow of 2,800 cubic feet per second (cusecs), prompting the closure of all 44 gates of the barrage to conserve water for irrigation. However, on February 15, India suddenly increased its water release by 800 cusecs, forcing Bangladesh to open six gates to manage the flow.

Teesta water is crucial for farmers in northern Bangladesh, particularly between December and April. The river sustains irrigation for 55,000 hectares of rice fields across six districts: Nilphamari, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Bogura, Joypurhat and Gaibandha.

LOCALS CONTINUE TO SUFFER

Alal Uddin, a 70-year-old farmer from Gaddimari village, five kilometers downstream of the Teesta Barrage, painted a bleak picture.

"There is some water upstream, but the downstream is completely dry," he told The Daily Star.

Nur Islam, a boatman from Aditmari Upazila in Lalmonirhat, shared a similar plight.

"I have no livelihood in the dry season because I cannot operate my boat due to the lack of water," he said.

The situation has deteriorated over the years. With India unilaterally diverting Teesta's waters and constructing multiple upstream projects in Sikkim and West Bengal, Bangladesh has faced worsening seasonal shortages. The riverbed is now filled with sand, making the region more vulnerable to flash floods and severe erosion during the monsoon.

Last week, Adviser Rizwana visited the Teesta region and held a public hearing in Kaunia, Rangpur.

"The interim government is prioritising the Teesta Mega Plan to address the struggles of riverine communities," she said. "We have signed an agreement with China, and the project will be implemented with input from the people who live here."​

 

[Saif]

Which dam has India build over Ganges. tell me the name of dam. I want to increase my knowledge. So far as I know, India uses Ganges as water way from Uttarakhand up to BD. There is no dam inbetween. If it is there, BD friends in add to my general knowledge.

It's not a dam. It's a barrage. Farakka Barrage in West Bengal.

 

[Saif]

Delhi should show neighbourly attitude on Teesta water plans

THE protests that thousands of people, mostly of Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Rangpur have held are a rightful reaction to India’s unilateral withdrawal of water of the River Teesta which causes a gradual desertification of Bangladesh’s north. The people have sat in for two...

www.newagebd.net

Delhi should show neighbourly attitude on Teesta water plans
20 February, 2025, 00:00

THE protests that thousands of people, mostly of Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Rangpur have held are a rightful reaction to India’s unilateral withdrawal of water of the River Teesta which causes a gradual desertification of Bangladesh’s north. The people have sat in for two days on the river bank in Lalmonirhat, marched along a four-kilometre stretch and held rallies and cultural performances on 11 locations, demanding a fair share of the water of the cross-border river. India’s withdrawal of water upstream has already set in the desertification process, which has harmed the life and the living of the people who live along the river. India’s sudden release of water during the monsoon seasons also causes flash flooding in the region, washing away crops, cattle and houses and leaving a large number of people marooned, without drinking water, food and shelter. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has extended its support, with its ranking leaders having joined in, for the protests that the Teesta River Protection Movement Committee has organised.

India has built at least 30 dams and a barrage upstream the Teesta, never having cared to let Bangladesh know of its obstructing the natural flow of the cross-border river. All these protests are the manifest expression against India, which has high-handedly put on hold the signing of an instrument on the sharing of water of the River Teesta, and six other rivers, which both Delhi and Dhaka agreed on in 2010, in a 50:50 per cent sharing formula, provisioning for a 20 per cent of the water as the environmental flow. Bangladesh and India share at least 54 rivers and India signed an agreement in 1996 only on the water of the River Ganges. India in the middle of 2020 also requested Bangladesh to complete preparations for the signing of the agreement on the water of the River Feni, standing back on its earlier commitment of 2015 to signing both the Teesta and the Feni agreement simultaneously. Such high-handedness of India, manifest in withholding and releasing the water of the River Teesta keeping to its needs and leaving the water sharing agreements of the transboundary rivers on hold, is hardly a sign of a neighbourly attitude.

New Delhi has so far come up with various seemingly illogical excuses in putting off the signing of the agreement on the sharing of the water of the River Teesta. Delhi should realise that a bilateral relation does not work this way. Dhaka should also talk the issues boldly with Delhi to stop the desertification of Bangladesh’s north and other problems caused by India’s delay in settling water sharing issues of common rivers, not only the Teesta but also the Feni and six others already referenced.​

 

[Krishna with Flute]

It's not a dam. It's a barrage. Farakka Barrage in West Bengal.

Barrages are very small and has limited holding capacity to hold the water. It can not have any major impact in flow of water.

 

[Saif]

Barrages are very small and has limited holding capacity to hold the water. It can not have any major impact in flow of water.

Barrages are built to divert water not to hold water.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Barrages are built to divert water not to hold water.

What would India do by diverting the water? Where would it divert and use? Ganges split in Tista and other rivers and terminate into Bangaladesh.

 

[Saif]

What would India do by diverting the water? Where would it divert and use? Ganges split in Tista and other rivers and terminate into Bangaladesh.

Farakka Barrage was created to divert water from the Ganges river system to keep Kolkata port from silting.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Farakka Barrage was created to divert water from the Ganges river system to keep Kolkata port from silting.

And where does it go ahead once reaches Kolkata?

 

[Saif]

And where does it go ahead once reaches Kolkata?

Please ask some environmentalist or google it. Thank you.