West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stirred up India's hydro diplomacy dynamics by demanding a joint river commission with Bhutan.
Her proposal, made during a Niti Aayog meeting in Delhi on Saturday, comes at a crucial time when New Delhi is actively engaging Bangladesh with offers to renew the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty and initiate a conservation plan for the Teesta.
Banerjee's request for a joint river commission with Bhutan stems from recurring flooding issues in north Bengal, attributed to rivers flowing in from the Himalayan kingdom.
“Many rivers flow into the Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts from Bhutan. Because of flash floods in these rivers, vast areas of these districts get inundated every year,” Banerjee said at Calcutta airport after returning from Delhi.
She elaborated on the erosion problems caused by these rivers, stating, “The rivers erode chunks of land. To address this problem, I suggested at the Niti Aayog meeting that a joint river commission be formed with Bhutan.”
The Bengal chief minister also pointed out that while she had submitted a written speech to the meeting, this specific issue was not included, prompting her to raise it separately.
Sources in the state irrigation department note that around 45 streams and rivers flow into India from Bhutan, impacting districts like Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Assam.
Notable rivers entering north Bengal from Bhutan include the Raidak, Torsha, Sankosh, Pana, Basra (Alipurduar), and the Diana and Reti-Sukriti (Jalpaiguri).
An official explained, “Many hilly streams flow into rivers downstream. During the monsoon months, when it rains in the upper catchment areas (in Bhutan), the rivers swell and cause flash floods.”
On Friday, the Bengal Assembly passed a resolution demanding a joint river commission with Bhutan. Four Trinamool Congress MLAs, who are also state ministers, moved the resolution along with Suman Kanjilal, the Alipurduar MLA who defected from the BJP to Bengal’s ruling party.
The resolution urged the state to ask the Centre to initiate talks with Bhutan for the formation of a joint river commission. A discussion on the matter is expected when Banerjee attends the Assembly on July 29.
A former state irrigation department official highlighted the benefits of a joint river commission, noting the existing commission between India and Bangladesh formed in 1972 to share water-flow data and address river-related issues.
“A similar commission with Bhutan will help address the problems of flash floods and erosion in parts of north Bengal. Most of the rivers that flow into India from Bhutan merge with the Brahmaputra, which eventually flows into Bangladesh from Assam. It will be interesting to see what the Centre does,” he said.
Banerjee’s demand for a joint river commission with Bhutan coincides with a challenging period for India’s hydro diplomacy with Bangladesh.
During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India visit last month, New Delhi announced plans to renew the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty — signed in 1996 and due to expire next year — and to send technical teams to Bangladesh to develop a project for the conservation and management of the Teesta.
India is keen to address Bangladesh’s concerns about water sharing, particularly as China has proposed helping Dhaka manage the Teesta.
Although Hasina, who recently visited China, expressed her preference for India to undertake the project, final decisions on the Teesta remain pending.
On Saturday, Banerjee reiterated her view of Bangladesh as a “friendly neighbour” but criticized the Modi government for advancing proposals on the Ganga and the Teesta without consulting Bengal.
“It is up to you what you will give another country... but when the state (Bengal) is a stakeholder, how can you decide without consulting the state?” she said.
Banerjee pointed out that India, Bangladesh, and Bengal should jointly participate in discussions about the Ganga and Teesta issues. She noted that the Teesta lacks sufficient water during the non-monsoon months, raising concerns about the impact on north Bengal's drinking water supply if water is provided to Bangladesh.
She also castigated the Centre for its failure to allocate funds for anti-erosion and flood protection measures in Malda and Murshidabad, districts situated on the banks of the Ganga. “When the (Ganga) treaty was signed, a project of ₹700 crore was planned to curb erosion in these districts,” Banerjee said.
“No funds have been allocated so far, and the lack of dredging of the Ganga riverbed in Farakka causes areas downstream to get flooded. I want to know whether mentioning these issues (at the Niti Aayog) was a crime.”
Mamata, who had walked out of the Niti Aayog meeting midway, alleged her microphone was switched off, adding another layer to the ongoing tensions between her administration and the central government.
Follow us
