The three-day Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting between Bangladesh and India, which ended in Delhi on Thursday, failed to deliver any breakthrough on the long-pending Teesta River water-sharing agreement.
Given the domestic political reality of India, such outcome was predicted. Still, it caused frustration among people of Bangladesh, particularly the thousands living on the Teesta banks.
Following the failure in signing the deal, experts concerned suggested to expedite move to start the Teesta River management project to store its water.
Bangladesh can even ask India to share expense of the project, as the country ultimately failed to sign the Teesta deal as per its commitment, they opined.
A former member of the JRC, preferring anonymity, told the FE that it has been clear that Bangladesh should take alternative measures to get water from the Teesta.
"We need to make reservoir there to store water for dry season. Due to construction of hydraulic power plants in the upstream of the Teesta, West Bengal is also being deprived of water."
So it is not realistic to think that the West Bengal government would approve the deal, he added.
State Minister for Water Resources Zaheed Farooque on Friday said his Indian counterpart told him that they would try their best to sign the deal.
Prior to the JRC meeting, he told the media that Bangladesh expected a breakthrough on the Teesta deal.
"Bangladesh has always shown open-mindedness in resolving any bilateral issues with India. So, we expect that India will reciprocate it by delivering the Teesta deal," he said before going to Delhi to attend the meeting.
In 2011, during the Dhaka visit of the then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Teesta deal could not be signed due to opposition of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banarjee, although the central government agreed to sign it.
As the rift between Mamata and the central government is much deeper now, it is quite unrealistic to think that the deal would be signed this time, diplomatic analysts opined.
However, officials said apart from the Teesta, progress was made on other rivers.
The JRC meeting also discussed exchange of flood-related data and information, river bank protection works, common basin management, and Indian River Interlinking Project.
The JRC agreed to undertake some more common rivers for exchange of data and information towards preparation of the draft framework of an interim water sharing agreement, they added.
On the Kushiyara, the Indian side said they would consider Bangladesh's request for signing a MoU for withdrawal of water by the countries from the common stretch of the Kushiyara River at an early date.
According to the foreign ministry, the JRC also agreed to conduct a feasibility study for optimum utilisation of water - received by Bangladesh under the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty 1996.
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