West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing her firm opposition to the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and to water sharing of the Teesta River.
Referring to Modi's discussion on water-sharing issues relating to the Ganges and Teesta rivers during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent India visit, Mamata said unilateral deliberations and discussions without consultation with the state government are neither acceptable nor desirable.
She also objected to any discussion on sharing Teesta water and the Farakka Treaty being taken up with Bangladesh without the involvement of the state government.
The interests of people in West Bengal are paramount and should not be compromised at any cost, she added.
She said if any water is shared with Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of people in North Bengal will be severely impacted due to inadequate availability of irrigation water.
"Water is very precious and is the lifeline of the people," the West Bengal chief minister said.
"We cannot compromise on such a sensitive issue which has serious consequences for the people. People of West Bengal will be the worst sufferers due to the consequences of such agreements."
"I understand that the Government of India is in the process of renewing the Indo-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty (1996) which is due to expire in 2026. This treaty delineates the principles of sharing water between Bangladesh and India and, as you are aware, it has serious implications for the people of West Bengal in maintaining their livelihoods. The water diverted at the Farakka Barrage helps maintain the navigability of the Kolkata port."
However, she affirmed that she shares a very close relationship with Bangladesh -- geographically, culturally and economically.
"I love and respect the people of Bangladesh and always wish for their well-being."
"I want to highlight that the course of the rivers in eastern India and Bangladesh has been changing for many years. This has deprived West Bengal of water and negatively impacted water availability in the state."
She said the eastward migration of the Ganges (and Padma in Bangladesh) over the last 200 years has disrupted the flow of water to several rivers in West Bengal.
She added that the reason behind building the Farakka Barrage Project was the disconnection of the Bhagirathi River from the Ganges.
"As part of this project, a feeder canal was constructed to provide at least 40,000 cubic metres per second for the proper functioning of the Kolkata port. It is important to note that the flow of silt into the Hooghly River has also been reduced since the barrage was constructed."
The West Bengal chief minister described the negative impacts of the Farakka Barrage.
She said it has increased erosion by the rivers, and areas both upstream and downstream have faced serious loss of life and property, including public infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, health centres and power lines.
She mentioned that in view of the likely changes in river morphology after the barrage construction, a letter was written by the then Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda in December 1996. After signing the Ganges Treaty, Mr Gowda assured the West Bengal government that central assistance would be provided for maintenance and dredging.
"However, no funds were received from the Government of India for this purpose."
On the Teesta River, she said, "It appears that sharing Teesta water between India and Bangladesh was also discussed in the meeting. The health of the Teesta River has suffered from the construction of a series of hydropower projects in Sikkim, deforestation in its upper catchment and the impact of climate change."
"The meeting seems to have involved a proposal by the Government of India for bilateral cooperation between India and Bangladesh to restore the Teesta River in Bangladesh. I am surprised that the Ministry of Jal Shakti has not taken concrete steps to restore the river to its original form and health on the Indian side."
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