Indo-Bangla talks on sharing Teesta water from Aug 7
Thursday, 2 August 2007
Sarwar Zahan
Bangladesh and India will hold a four-day talks in New Delhi from August 7 to strike a short-term deal on sharing of water of the Teesta river, water resources ministry sources said.
The Indian side has confirmed the date of the talks by the Joint Committee of Experts (JCE) to finalise recommendations for signing an interim agreement on sharing of the Teesta water, they said.
The upcoming JCE meet will also try to settle other unresolved water issues, but special and utmost emphasis will be given on the Teesta water sharing, sources said.
The meeting will also discuss sharing of water of seven other major trans-boundary rivers and construction of protection embankments, sources added.
The JCE, headed by water resources secretaries of the two countries, met last in Dhaka in September 2004.
Bangladesh has 230 major rivers mostly originating from India and water sharing of the common rivers remains an outstanding issue.
Dhaka proposed an equal share of 80 per cent of the Teesta water, leaving the rest 20 per cent as natural flow of the river. New Delhi, on the other hand, insisted on sharing the waters at a ratio of 39 per cent and 36 per cent for India and Bangladesh respectively.
Bangladesh and India will hold a four-day talks in New Delhi from August 7 to strike a short-term deal on sharing of water of the Teesta river, water resources ministry sources said.
The Indian side has confirmed the date of the talks by the Joint Committee of Experts (JCE) to finalise recommendations for signing an interim agreement on sharing of the Teesta water, they said.
The upcoming JCE meet will also try to settle other unresolved water issues, but special and utmost emphasis will be given on the Teesta water sharing, sources said.
The meeting will also discuss sharing of water of seven other major trans-boundary rivers and construction of protection embankments, sources added.
The JCE, headed by water resources secretaries of the two countries, met last in Dhaka in September 2004.
Bangladesh has 230 major rivers mostly originating from India and water sharing of the common rivers remains an outstanding issue.
Dhaka proposed an equal share of 80 per cent of the Teesta water, leaving the rest 20 per cent as natural flow of the river. New Delhi, on the other hand, insisted on sharing the waters at a ratio of 39 per cent and 36 per cent for India and Bangladesh respectively.