India urged to augment Teesta water flow

Amid sharp decline in Teesta water flow on Bangladesh side, Dhaka has urged Delhi to release adequate water for irrigation projects and maintain smooth river flow until the much-talked-about Teesta water sharing deal is signed. The request has been made at the technical-level meeting of the Joint River Commission (JRC) held at the state guesthouse Meghna in the city, meeting sources said. JRC member Mir Sajjad Hossain led the home side while Farakka Barrage Project General Manager SK Howlader led the Indian team to the meeting. The issue of signing an interim deal on Teesta water sharing also came up at the meeting seeking quick steps in this regard. Apart from Teesta, issues related to other common rivers were also discussed at the meeting. Bangladesh also placed a two-year development plan to check the erosion of banks of the common rivers and carry out other development activities. Officials are scheduled to measure the water flow at Farrakah point today (Sunday), according to UNB.