The much-talked Teesta Water Sharing deal is going to be signed between Bangladesh and India without any ‘Guarantee Clause”. But uncertainty over equal share of the Teesta water as per Bangladesh demand will persist, said experts. On the other hand, India is set to get water of Feni River as per their demand.
The Teesta Deal will be inked for 10 years though Bangladesh sought to sign it for 15 years.
As per draft deal in last September, 20% of water has to keep for the normal flow of the river and the rest will be shared fifty-fifty.
As per new draft of Teesta deal formulated after reviewing Teesta water survey report by Indian water resources specialist Kollayan Rudra, keeping 20 percent water for the natural flow of river, India will get 45 percent of water and the rest 35 of the water for Bangladesh. The water will be distributed based on the quantum of water that flow through Gajaldoba.
As per the agreement, India will not build any dam in 50 km of the upstream area of Gajaldova.
Bangladesh, however, fears that India may pull a lot of water by building barrage, using different rivers and their branches in upstream of Gajaldoba area of the Teesta.
So, Bangladesh will be deprived to require water as per demand due to the lack of sufficient flow of water in Gajaladoba, especially, in the summer season.
The last meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission was held on March 17-20 last year in Delhi. Three years have already passed. It was not held any meeting regarding the issue.
Finally, after 3 years and 3 months, the 38th meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission has to sit in the next 17 June.
An Indian delegation led-by its Water Resources Development miniter Harish Raoyat will join the meeting while Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen will lead the 14-member Bangladesh team.
After the meeting, the Indian delegation will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and leave Dhaka for India on June 20.
There will be discussed 12 issues including increase of Ganga water flow in the drought season and Teesta-Feni water sharing agreement for interim period.
During the meeting, Bangladesh will place its demands of withdrawal of India’s plan of building dams on Umio and Mindu rivers of Meghalaya mentioning that the downstream country may face environmental threat, if India implements these projects.
The Teesta agreement had to be scrapped during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s visit to Dhaka last September following last minute objection by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the quantum of water to be given to Bangladesh.(Source: banglanews24.com)
