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Water Sharing Treaty 1977-1996
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India unilaterally decided to construct
Farakka barrage across the trans-boundary river Ganges in 1951 in order to
divert water to Bhagirathi to maintain navigability of Kolkata port
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The then Govt. of Pakistan protested
this action
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Construction of the Farakka Barrage was
started by India in 1960 unilaterally violating the international norms of
any construction for diversion of water on any international river.
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Negotiations on sharing of Ganges water
started in late fifty between India and Pakistan
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Construction of the barrage completed in
1974 having a length of 7363 ft, designed for a maximum design discharge of
27,00,000 cusec and a head regulator for diversion capacity of 40,000 cusec
of flow.
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India approached Bangladesh for test
operation of the Farakka Barrage and feeder canal. The then prime Minister
Sk. Mujib agreed to India's proposal for test operation of the barrage and
feeder canal. In 1975 India was allowed to divert flows for a period of 41
days from 21 April to 31 May '75 with the understanding that India will not
operate feeder canal until a final agreement was reached between India and
Bangladesh on the sharing of Ganges water. Violating this understanding
India started diverting the Ganges water in the upstream unilaterally in
1976 & 1977 Water Sharing
Treaty 1977-1996
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Country wide protests were raised on
this action of India and a protest march was organized by Moulana Bhasani
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After failing in attempts to resolve
this issue peacefully and amicably Bangladesh raised the issue of Ganges
water sharing in the UN General Assembly session in 1976 by president Ziaur
Rahman. Confronting adverse international opinion India agreed to negotiate
and sign an ad hoc
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Agreement for 5 yrs on Ganges water sharing in 1977
1977 agreement was expired in 1982 and
India denied to extend it. The then military ruler Gen.Ershad succumbed to
the Indian pressure and signed a MOU scrapping the 1977 agreement where the
interest of Bangladesh was compromised and the guarantee clause was
excluded. MOU signed in 1982 was expired in 1985 and extended to 1988
through two other similar extension . From 1989 onward India refused to come
to any deal with the bangladesh on Ganges water sharing.No treaty or
agreement existed till 1996 during which the average low flow has come down
to 10,000 to 12,000 cusec with one extreme event of 9000 cusec.
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In the mean time it is observed that
average high flow of the Ganges downstream of Farakka increase from
1,745,300 cusec to 1,959, 400 cusec and the average low flow decrease from
70,700 to 10,000 cusec bed level aggraded along with the remarkable rise in
high water level for which flood vulnerability has increased
Source:
Presentation made by A.N.H. Akhtar Hossain PEng, Engr. S. M. Mahbubur
Rahman and Engr. S.H.M. Fakhruddin at Press Club Dhaka. |
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