Why balanced distribution of water has not been ensured even in 52 years

By Rayhan Ahmed Tapader

Equal river water sharing is a long-standing unresolved issue between Bangladesh and India. Although the two countries signed an agreement on the water sharing of only the Ganga River in 1996, there is still no solution regarding the water sharing of the 8 rivers under discussion including the Teesta. After the Ganga Treaty, the issue of Teesta River water sharing gained the most importance in the negotiations. In 2011, all preparations were made to sign the Teesta Treaty between the two countries, but it could not be completed due to the opposition of the West Bengal government. It is a long process though. But 20 years from now there should be such a thought, which is not kept. Our neighbours also lack this perspective. Therefore, it appears that we have looked into the Teesta issue much later. As long as I have noticed, the problem has started. The Bangladesh-India discussion on Teesta is very old. Soon after the independence of the country in 1972, Teesta water was discussed in the second meeting of the Joint River Commission. An interim agreement was also reached in 1983. According to the agreement, Bangladesh had 36 per cent, India 39 per cent and 25 per cent of the water to maintain the navigability of the river. That interim agreement expired in 1985. In 1987 the term was extended for two more years. After that, there was no further agreement. The Teesta water-sharing agreement was supposed to be signed on September 6, 2011. It has not progressed due to the complexities of central and provincial governments in India. The impact of the water crisis on the Teesta is enormous. The people on the banks of Teesta could not produce food as per the target due to a continuous decrease in water flow. Undoubtedly, if that were the case, the food security of the north-western region would have been strengthened. Likewise, the income of the farmers of the economically backward region would have increased.

Apart from economic loss due to the scarcity of water in Teesta, we are facing another kind of loss. And that is environmental damage. Lack of water disrupts ecological balance, and natural functions in river basins; Biodiversity is under threat. We see that many farmers are using underground water for irrigation without getting Teesta water. This increases their cost of production, adversely affecting the environment. In any mutual relationship, a state should look at two things: national interest or public welfare and respect. In the relationship between Bangladesh and India, there was a lack of these issues from Bangladesh's side. Because the political dependence of Bangladesh on India has increased during the last 15 years of rule. The rules of international or common river water sharing are mutual agreement and equitable distribution of water and basin-based management. No one country has a single monopoly on the same river. No country can unilaterally build a dam on a shared river, it has to take the permission of the other country. Again, even after the construction of the dam, regular information has to be provided. It is necessary to inform downstream people before opening the dam. But India did not accept them. In the past years, no protest has been officially expressed by Bangladesh. In the past years, India has always been vocal in its own interest in the two countries' common river water-sharing policy. Bangladesh's interests have always been neglected. In March 1972, the 'India-Bangladesh Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace' was signed between the two countries. According to this agreement, the Joint River Protection Commission (JRC) was formed for joint river management. There are 54 rivers between the two countries. Its main purpose was to discuss issues like irrigation, flood and cyclone control as well as the sharing of water resources of these rivers.

The commission has always failed to negotiate to protect the national interest of the country. Apart from this, the regular activities of the commission were also not performed properly. As a result, the capacity of the commission has been questioned. The JRC was supposed to hold four meetings a year as per the procedure. According to that, 208 JRC meetings have been held in 52 years. But in reality, the commission was able to organize only 38 meetings. Even after 52 years, this commission could not play an effective role in ensuring the balanced distribution of water in the inter-country rivers. Experts say, in such a situation, Bangladesh can take the cooperation of the United Nations to decide on the rivers. It is essential to increase the capacity of this commission to protect the national interest. The success of this commission in 52 years is only the Ganges Agreement. According to this agreement, the two countries were supposed to share the water fairly. According to the Joint River Commission's 2024 data, Bangladesh has received its fair share of water so far this year. The contract is due to expire in 2026. Recently, the renewal of this agreement was discussed at the level of the Prime Ministers of the two countries, but the Chief Minister of West Bengal has raised objections, which has put the future of this agreement in doubt. The International Watercourse Convention of 1997 became law on 17 August 2014. There are guidelines on how to use river water flowing from the upstream country to the downstream country. Changing the channel without keeping the water of the river in the channel in which the river flows will not be beneficial for the river. India's Torsa River is Dudhkumar in Bangladesh. Jaldhaka in India, and the Dharla River in Bangladesh. This river does not have a significant amount of water, with which it is possible to meet the shortage of Teesta. And even if there was water in these two rivers, it would not have been possible to meet the deficiency of Teesta.

Article 5 of the United Nations Convention on the Use of Water Resources states that countries bordering any flowing common or international river shall use water resources on the basis of justice. The same applies to the use of border rivers or reservoirs. In this case, it has been suggested to use water resources according to the population and land size of different countries. Moreover, the international water resources law also emphasizes on joint management of common rivers or border water bodies and, fair distribution of water. Different countries are ensuring common river management in accordance with international norms. Among these, the Danube River can be specially mentioned. They are maintaining the area along the river that flows through 12 countries of Central and Eastern Europe like a painting. Vienna, the capital of Austria, Budapest, the capital of Hungary, and Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, have been built on the banks of the Danube from Germany to Romania. From the shores of the North Sea to the shores of the Black Sea, the Danube has all the facilities for navigation and shipping. Not only is the source of shipping and irrigation system but the Danube is also used as one of the main sources of fresh water fish and drinking water in the region. For so long, the countries have ensured the proper management of this river based on mutual commitment, responsibility and international norms. The Indus Water Treaty or Indus Water Treaty was signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan to equitably share the waters of the Indus and its five rivers. The World Bank mediated the talks between the two countries. And, to implement the agreement and settle any dispute related to the agreement, the 'Indus Commission' was formed. The Indus Basin Water Treaty is South Asia's oldest and longest-running international water-sharing agreement.

This commission has shown great success in the last 64 years. They are particularly instructive in the water distribution and management of common rivers in Bangladesh and India. Teesta is a major source of water for agriculture, fisheries and food systems in the northern part of the country. In particular, the people of about five and a half thousand villages adjacent to the basin are largely dependent on this river for their livelihood. According to international legal regulations, it is the right of Bangladesh to get a fair share of Teesta water as an international river. . For more than two decades, India has been exclusively withdrawing water from this river, especially during the dry season. As a result, the water flow in the Bangladesh part of Teesta has gradually decreased. Agricultural production in the 12 upazilas of the northwestern region, which depends on the Teesta water, is greatly disrupted. Floods are occurring in the northern part of Bangladesh due to the release of monsoon water. Generally, the cost of rice cultivation is 1/20 of the cost of rice cultivation with the benefit of irrigation projects. Teesta irrigation project is playing a unique role in the removal of Manga in Rangpur. That irrigation scheme is virtually non-operational during the dry season. The 8,000 hectares of land that is being cultivated with water under the rationing system needs to be released to keep the river alive. Due to the non-availability of water in Teesta, numerous other problems arise. There is no alternative to Teesta water for the life of the North. There is no alternative to increase the capacity of the Joint River Protection Commission to protect the interests of Bangladesh. The meetings to be held during the year should be held regularly. Moreover, we have not seen any activities of the Joint River Commission in connection with the Teesta. Looking at the situation, it seems that the possibility of a Teesta water-sharing agreement has faded a lot. Big effort should come from the Bangladesh side. In this regard, Bangladesh's diplomatic efforts in the Teesta River have not been successful.

Agreements are very important in transboundary water sharing, as agreements ensure the availability of a country's share of water. The water of every river flowing between India and Bangladesh, including the Teesta, is expected to be distributed on the principle of equality. In this regard, the government of Bangladesh has to play a more active role. The experts of the country think that the settlement of water distribution between the two countries is not only a bilateral issue, but also the interest and consent of the state government of India is important. India's central politics also has an impact here. They said that the kind of dialogue required from the expert level to the political high level could not be done on time, besides the participation of all parties could not be ensured. Due to which the implementation of decisions on minor issues related to the water of the same river is seen to be pending for a long time. Experts of the Joint Rivers Commission say dialogue is very important. That will lead to the solution. So it can be solved by continuing the discussion with all the concerned parties. Both the countries can make efficient use of our water, if we think about the overall river management in the two countries on a basin basis, it will be seen that we can remove such uncertainties and worries. But unfortunately, even after 52 years of true independence, we could not solve it.

The writer is a researcher and columnist. Email: [email protected]