Experts maintain that the water of all the trans-boundary rivers of Bangladesh and India should be shared between the two countries through ensuring a basin-based water management system. Such reaction has come from the experts as an answer to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's proposal to share the water of other common rivers with Bangladesh instead of the Teesta – which is unrealistic. Teesta water must be shared
As per the international law one country cannot say it will not give water from a common river or will give water from another river. The water of every trans-boundary river has to be shared
Prof. Sarwar Md. Saifullah Khaled
Experts maintain that the water of all the trans-boundary rivers of Bangladesh and India should be shared between the two countries through ensuring a basin-based water management system. Such reaction has come from the experts as an answer to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees proposal to share the water of other common rivers with Bangladesh instead of the Teesta which is unrealistic.
Experts said the joint statement of 2011, signed by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her then Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh allows to jointly taking basin-based water management of the common rivers, considering all the common rivers of the two countries respectively. Every river basin must be considered a separate unit. Both the countries have to work on every river basin separately because they have plenty of water in their rivers during monsoon but there is little during the dry season. The untimely flow of a huge volume of water inundates vast areas of the country each year. Experts say that there would have been no flashflood in the Haor regions had the Surma River had no lack of water flow this year 2017. If Bangladesh can preserve water during monsoon and release it properly in the dry season, it could prevent salinity in costal region; ensure water supply and water vessel movement during dry season also.
Mamata suggested studying the Torsa, Sankosh and Raidak systems as possible alternative to the Teesta during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas recent visit to India this year 2017. The Torsa rises in Tibet and flows through Bhutan before entering Bangladesh in the north while the Sankosh originates from northern Bhutan and empties into the Brahmaputra after flowing across the Bengal-Assam border, and the Raidak, also a tributary of the Brahmaputra, rises in Bhutan before emerging onto the plains of Jalpaiguri. About Mamatas claim that there is no water in the Teesta to share, the experts raised the question that, Where has the water of the Teesta gone?
Before constructing a barrage on the Teesta River by India there was 8,000 to 10,000 cusecs of water in the river, but when India started operating the barrage, the water flow in the river started declining. Bangladesh is getting only 3,000 to 4,000 cusecs water. Bangladesh should have had a fair share of water of the Teesta. In 2011, Mamata stopped releasing water of the river. This is just anarchy. So, the claim that there is no water in the Teesta is absolutely false, experts say. An expert from the Civil Engineering Department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) said there should not be any alternative to the Teesta River. He said as per the International River Convention, Bangladesh has the right to get water from all the common rivers.
A river can not be alternative to another one. The deputy executive director of Institution of Water Modeling (IWM) said that Mamatas proposal to give water from other rivers to Bangladesh except Teesta is a political stand and that is why the Teesta water-sharing deal should be signed to get equity share of water from the river. As per the international law one country cannot say it will not give water from a common river or will give water from another river. The water of every trans-boundary river has to be shared. During her recent India visit, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a joint statement urged her counterpart Narenda Modi for the conclusion of the Interim Agreement on Sharing of the Water of Teesta as agreed upon by both governments in January 2011. Prime Minister Modi reiterated that his government is working with all stakeholders in India for an early conclusion of the agreement. Let us see the result. The two Prime Ministers also directed the officials concerned to conclude discussions on various aspects relating to sharing of waters of the Feni, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumari rivers by the time. Citing the joint statement, expert said that the Teesta water problem could be resolved through ensuring basin-based water management, stressing the need for taking such management in other rivers, including Gumati, Dharla and Dudhkumari. The Prime Ministers are now talking about the basin-based water management in common rivers although talks about it started in 1985, experts said, adding that it cannot be tolerated if Mamata now says she does not know anything in this regard.
All the technical aspects of the Teesta water sharing agreement have already been done; the water expert said adding that only its singing officially is pending. It is observed that if the two countries take the basin-based water management in the Teesta River, Bangladesh will be able to resolve the flooding problem here. Experts criticizing the Bangladeshi journalists said they gave more importance to Mamata Banerjee than Indian Prime Minister as they claimed they did not understand the importance of the Teesta issue.
However, to my view Teesta is a political stand taken by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of Trinomul Congress. She is definitely eying and vying to be the Prime Minister of India some day. She is unwilling to give the credit of solving Teesta to a Prime Minister belonging to a party other than Trinomul Congress. She did not cooperate with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh belonging to Indian National Congress in 2011 and this time in 2017 she has not cooperated with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi of Bharatio Janata Party. She most probably is willing to keep shelved the Teesta issue until she becomes the Prime Minister of India and take the entire credit of solving the issue herself. Mamta is not a baby. She understands it well that common rivers water needs to be shared. Her country India is sharing Indus rive water with Pakistan and Ganges river water with Bangladesh. But still she is indifferent so far as Teesta is concerned.
Now what both Bangladesh and India is to wait to see is Mamata become the Prime Minister of India or both West Bengal and the centre is ruled by the same party either it be Indian National Congress, Bharatio Janata Party or Trinamul Congress. Bangladesh has to wait till then. At the present circumstances there is no hope or other alternative in sight except imposing Presidential rule in West Bengal to solve the issue but that is near to impossibility. Therefore, we may have to wait and suffer because of the self-willed nature of Mamata Benarjee as regards the sharing of Teesta water with Bangladesh.
The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS GeneralEducation Cadre
