(India-Bangladesh dispute)
Writer: Ahmed Ali
India and Bangladesh share 54 trans-boundary rivers. So far, the two countries have reached agreement on sharing the waters of only one river, the Ganga. Success with regard to finalizing an agreement on the Teesta River remains elusive, however. The Teesta, which flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, is Bangladesh’s fourth largest river and also the main river of northern Bangladesh. India has built dams across the Teesta, and these have impacted water flow into Bangladesh. It is estimated that before the dams were constructed, the daily average flow of water into Bangladesh was 6,710 cusecs (cubic feet per second). A flow of 5,000 cusecs of water is needed for irrigation purposes, but Bangladesh is reportedly receiving only 1,200-1,500 cusecs during the dry season. This drops to 200-300 cusecs at times. India’s plans for the construction of two canals diverting the waters of the Teesta River will further reduce water flow into Bangladesh. The planned canals are a clear violation of international norms of transboundary river water management as India had committed at the 37th meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission in 2010 to not “construct any major structure for diversion of water for consumptive uses upstream of (the Gajoldoba) barrage except minor irrigation schemes, drinking water supply, and industrial use.”
Indo-PAK water dispute
Indus Waters Treaty void
The Indus River is considered one of Pakistan’s main water sources, as up to 65% of Pakistan’s farmland is irrigated with its water, and farmland irrigated by the Indus River contributes to about 90% of the country’s food and fiber production. India has built more than 50 dams on the Indus River and its tributaries within its territory since the two countries’ independence. The Kishanganga Hydropower Project was completed in 2018 in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir with an installed capacity of 330 MW, which aims to divert water from the Kishanganga River to a power station in the Jhelum River basin. As for the Rattle Project, with an installed capacity of 850 MW, it may reduce the amount of water flowing through the Chenab River by 40%, thus having a negative impact on agriculture in the central Punjab region of Pakistan.
These repeated actions confirm India’s increasing use of water as a geopolitical weapon. As we all know, water resource issues involve the lives of everyone in the countries concerned. Diplomatic disputes between countries should not joke with precious human lives. In the fight against terrorism, the cooperative attitude of the governments of Pakistan and Bangladesh is sincere, and India should respond positively.
