Dispute Over Water Talks with Bangladesh: Centre vs. Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee's Concerns West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing her strong objections to the talks between India and Bangladesh abo...
Mamata Banerjee's Concerns
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing her strong objections to the talks between India and Bangladesh about sharing water from the Teesta and Ganga rivers. She was upset because West Bengal was not included in these discussions, which she found unacceptable.
Teesta River Issues
Banerjee pointed out that the water flow in the Teesta River has decreased a lot over the years. She believes that sharing this water with Bangladesh would harm many people in North Bengal, which is a bad idea for the people of bengal.
Ganga Water Treaty Concerns
The Chief Minister also talked about the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty, which will expire in 2026. She criticized the Centre for having these talks without consulting West Bengal. Banerjee warned that this could cause problems for West Bengal, such as erosion in the Bhagirathi River and difficulties for the Kolkata port.
Centre's Response
The government disagreed with Banerjee's claims. They said that last July, they asked West Bengal to send a representative to a committee reviewing the 1996 Water Treaty. West Bengal then nominated the Chief Engineer of the Irrigation and Waterways Directorate. This April, the state's Joint Secretary in the Irrigation and Waterways Department shared their water needs for the next 30 years.
Recent Talks with Bangladesh
The latest discussions between India and Bangladesh happened over the weekend when Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Delhi. This visit followed her attendance at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath ceremony for his third term.
Impact on West Bengal
Mamata Banerjee stressed that the people of West Bengal would suffer the most from these treaties. She explained that the state has already faced problems like erosion in the Bhagirathi River, which has caused loss of lives and livelihoods, and operational challenges at the Kolkata port.
- Prisha Jaiswal
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