Amid the ongoing negotiations over the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty between India and Bangladesh, which is set to expire in December 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday asserted that matters concerning the treaty would be considered within the existing structured bilateral mechanism.
Addressing a weekly press briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said:
“We have 54 rivers that are shared between India and Bangladesh, and we have a joint rivers commission, a structured bilateral mechanism to deal with issues pertaining to all the rivers that we share between India and Bangladesh. We will also be looking at these issues as part of our structured bilateral collaboration on rivers.”
Jaiswal was responding to media queries on the recent remarks by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir regarding the Ganges water-sharing agreement.
Alamgir purportedly remarked that the future of strong India-Bangladesh bilateral ties hinges on the renewal of the Ganges water-sharing agreement, also known as the Farakka Treaty.
The existing Ganges Water Sharing Treaty was signed between India and Bangladesh in 1996 and hailed as a diplomatic success.
It provided a 30-year framework for sharing Ganga waters during the critical dry season (January–May).
Based on a 10-day period flow measurement at Farakka, with a guaranteed minimum of 35,000 cusecs for each country in certain conditions, the implementation is overseen by a joint committee which is also responsible for resolving disputes.
While the treaty reduced tensions, its implementation has faced several challenges.
Climate change, glacial retreat, and upstream water use in India’s states have reduced dry-season flows, making allocations harder to meet.
Bangladesh has often alleged that it receives less than its due share, especially in drought years, while India cites hydrological constraints.
With the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty set to expire in December 2026, its renewal is expected to be a key issue in India-Bangladesh bilateral engagement.
(With inputs from agencies)