Securing Bangladesh\\\'s share of Teesta water

The issue of sharing Teesta waters has not only remained unresolved but has also given rise to a host of other side issues. Two most tormenting ones relate to desertification and drastic fall in underground water level in the northern region of the country.
During the British period, attempts were made to utilise Teesta water for irrigation in the traditionally draught-stricken northern region of the then East Bengal. The first project aimed at utilising Teesta water for irrigation was formulated in 1945. After Partition in 1947, both India and Pakistan went ahead with implementation of the project separately.
The first study in this connection was undertaken in 1960 and on conclusion of the study, a report was submitted in 1969. But due to various complications, the project could not get under way during the Pakistan period.
After liberation of Bangladesh, the government adopted a Master Plan envisaging irrigation on 1,54,000 hectares of land in seven districts with Teesta waters and selected Gadimari under Hatibandha upazila as the project site. Following formation of the Joint Rivers' Commission in 1972, negotiations with India were initiated.
In 1979, following several reviews and amendments, work on 615.24-metre-long barrage, which would need a 600,000 cusec of water, got underway in Doani village under Gadimari union. Nearly 37,000 acres of land were taken over through acquisition on which the original barrage was built alongside 33.67 kilometre major, 74.85 kilometre major secondary and 387.85 kilometres of tertiary canal. Furthermore, 153 culverts and nearly two thousand outlets were constructed. The initial project cost was Taka 5,000 million. The project was later bifurcated and fresh allocation of Taka 15,000 million was made for the first phase. The government decided to implement the project from its own resources and using local technology. Since the project cost escalated, the Saudi Development Fund and a foreign bank extended a loan of US$40 million.
In 1980, 54 thousand hectares of land were brought under irrigation plan during the first phase of the project. But the plan could not be implemented due to non-availability of required volume of water in the Teesta. Later in July 1983, an inter-ministerial meeting between Bangladesh and India was held to address the issue. The meeting resolved thatBangladesh was to get 36 per cent and India 39 per cent of the Teesta waters and the rest was to be retained in the river as its normal water level.
But nothing happened apart from one or two meetings here and there. To make matters worse, India constructed another barrage at a place called Gazaldoba, only 65 kilometres away from the Teesta barrage area and took control of the Teesta waters. As a result of India taking away Teesta waters unilaterally, any water is hardly available these days in the entire Teesta barrage area at the beginning of Boro season.
On the other hand, serious floods occur during the rainy season.  
Constructing a barrage at Gazaldoba and diverting water from the Teesta without consulting Bangladesh which is a violation of the Helsinki accord of 1966 as well as all other international laws relating to common rivers. What is more disconcerting is, another 35 similar projects based on the Teesta waters are reported to be in the pipeline in India, out of which, according to latest reports, construction of three dams over the river in Sikkim is complete and ten others are under implementation.        
In Bangladesh, construction of the original barrage was completed in 1990, five years behind schedule. In the same manner, deadline for completion of the first phase originally set at June 1996, could not be met and finally the first phase was completed two years later in June 1998. About 27,500 hectares of land in 12 upazilas of Nilphamari, Rangpur and Dinajpur districts were brought under irrigation scheme. According to water experts, at least 10,000 cusec of water is required for carrying out normal irrigation activities. Water flow in the area almost a decade ago on December 29, 2004 was 1,574 cusec which again came down below one thousand cusec by the end of January this year, as records show.
As a matter of fact, the Teesta in Bangladesh is in the grip of the worst-ever water crisis in last 30 years. Although there is supposed to be three to four thousand cusec of water there at this time of the year, reality speaks otherwise. Hardly 400 to 500 cusec can be found which is one-sixth of the requirement. As a result, Boro plants on 60,500 hectares of land in 12 upazilas of three districts under the project have withered due to lack of water.
The Teesta apart, India went ahead with the construction of the Tipaimukh barrage as well, thrusting Bangladesh in further trouble. In the face of vehement opposition from inside Bangladesh, India repeatedly announced that the Tipaimukh was not going to harm Bangladesh in any way. India also invited a Bangladesh team of experts to visit the site and see for themselves whatever India was doing at the Tipaimukh would not harm Bangladesh. On the basis of assurances given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2011, the Bangladesh government constituted a 10-member committee with Mir Sajjad Hossain, Member, the Joint Rivers Commission, as its Convener. Terms of reference of the committee were to gather information on the Tipaimukh and exchange information with India on the issue. The report of the committee has not yet been made public.
The Teesta issue has already generated enough heat in our political arena. Some left parties organised a long march to the Teesta Barrage on April 19 demanding legal and due share of the Teesta waters. Another long march was organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on April 22-23.
Interestingly, water flow in the Teesta increased dramatically during the BNP's long march, but came down to where it was on the following day when the march concluded - a classic example of water diplomacy by India.  
The ground reality is, Bangladesh has no other choice but to depend on the Teesta water to prevent desertification of its northern region. Experience, it is not going to be easy. On one hand, India has been evasive on the issue of executing the Teesta agreement with Bangladesh, and on the other, it has been withdrawing water from the Teesta unilaterally. Paschimbanga Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was squarely blamed when the Teesta Agreement was not signed during Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh 2011.
Irrigation activities in northern Bangladesh have come to a standstill due to shortage of water in the Teesta. According to reliable sources, the normal water flow in the current season this year came down to 10 per cent of those recorded in the preceding years. Following construction of the Gazaldoba barrage by India, Bangladesh until recently had at least 3,000 cusecs in its part of the Teesta which suddenly came down to only 1,500 cusecs during January this year and has further gone down to only 400 cusecs during the current season. It may be mentioned, the water flow during dry season until 1997 ranged from six to 10 thousand cusecs.
As a matter of fact, the Teesta in Bangladesh is in the grip of the worst water crisis in last 30 years. Boro plants on 60,500 hectares of land in 12 upazilas of three districts under the project have withered off plunging the hapless people of the area in deeper crisis.
Mir Sajjad Hossain, Member, the Joint Rivers Commission (Bangladesh part), while talking to the media, acknowledged the gravity of the situation and expressed his deep concern at the present state of affairs. He said, with the present level of only 700 cusec of water, irrigation is not possible and contacts are being made at different levels of the Indian administration in this context.
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