Amid rising Ganga water levels and floods, Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary urged his West Bengal counterpart Suvendu Adhikari to open all gates of the Farakka Barrage. Adhikari has assured prompt action to facilitate the flow of the river.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday spoke to his West Bengal counterpart Suvendu Adhikari over the phone and urged him to open all gates of the Farakka Barrage amid rising water levels in the Ganga River and the flood situation in Bihar.
In a post on X, Choudhary said opening the barrage gates would facilitate the flow of the river and help control the flood situation in Bihar. “Keeping in view the rising water level of the Ganga River and the flood situation in Bihar, I spoke to the Honourable Chief Minister of West Bengal, Shri Suvendu Adhikari, over the phone today and requested him to open all the gates of the Farakka Barrage,” Choudhary said.
He added that Adhikari had assured him of prompt action in the matter. “The opening of the Farakka Barrage gates will help facilitate the flow of the Ganga and control the flood situation in Bihar. Chief Minister Shri Shubhendu Adhikari has assured prompt action in this regard. Bihar’s security and relief are our top priority,” the Bihar Chief Minister added.
Concerns raised over Farakka Barrage Treaty
Meanwhile, JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha raised concerns over the 1996 Farakka Barrage Treaty between India and Bangladesh, saying Bihar’s interests should be kept in mind before any decision on its renewal. “A treaty was signed between India and Bangladesh in 1996. Who was the Chief Minister of Bihar at that time? That was when Bihar’s interests were sold out,” Jha said.
He said the treaty is set to complete 30 years in December and urged the Centre not to renew it without considering Bihar’s interests. “We have requested the government–since this treaty completes 30 years in December–not to renew it. Discussions should be held only after keeping Bihar’s interests in mind,” Jha said.
India-Bangladesh Water Sharing Context
India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers, with the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty governing dry-season water sharing at the Farakka Barrage. The Teesta water-sharing issue remains unresolved despite several rounds of bilateral talks.
An agreement proposed in 2011 sought to allocate 42.5 per cent of Teesta waters to India and 37.5 per cent to Bangladesh, with the remaining share accounting for other considerations. The proposal, however, did not materialise amid opposition from West Bengal. (ANI)
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