'Consult Bengal CM before renewing Farakka Treaty'

Kolkata, Aug. 19 -- Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Banerjee urged the Centre to consult Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before renewing the Indo-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty of 1996.

The treaty, signed with Bangladesh in 1996 to share the water of the Ganges at Farakka, is set to expire in 2026.

In the Rajya Sabha, he asked the Ministry of Jal Shakti whether any changes had been noticed in the River Ganges over the past 30 years since the signing of the treaty. The minister responded that no such changes had been detected, though he acknowledged that erosion remains an issue.

Banerjee in the Parliament also stated that the Centre should consult the Bengal government before the renewal of the treaty, as the matter is linked to the navigability of the Kolkata Port.

It is also related to the ecological balance of the Sunderbans, the largest delta in the world. The experts had also pointed out that there were flaws in the 1996 treaty. Banerjee has also enquired about what steps the Centre was taking to check Ganga erosion.

Banerjee had taken up the issue in the Parliament earlier also. He pointed out that the health of Teesta River has been suffering because of construction of a series of hydro power projects, deforestation in the upper catchment area, and climate change.

Observing that Teesta is the second largest river of West Bengal, the MP had said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had conveyed her strong reservation that no discussion regarding the sharing of Teesta waters with Bangladesh and renewal of Indo-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty should be taken up without holding talks with the West Bengal government.

Incidentally, the Central government is in the process of renewing the Indo-Bangladesh Farakka treaty of 1996.

It has huge implications for the people of Bengal, as far as their livelihoods are concerned. The diversion of water at the Farakka Barrage is creating navigability problems for the Kolkata Port, Banerjee had pointed out.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.