Bangladeshi, Indian Engineers Monitor Ganges Water Flows

Photo: Collected

Bangladeshi and Indian engineers are currently monitoring water flows at key points to ensure compliance with the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.

Four Bangladeshi engineers are stationed at Farakka in India to measure river discharge, while two Indian engineers are positioned at Hardinge Bridge in Bangladesh to verify that allocated water reaches the country.

Officials from the Joint River Commission said the monitoring began on 1 January and will continue until 31 May.

“Every year, engineers from both countries measure flows at Farakka and Hardinge Bridge. This is routine work,” said Mohammad Abu Sayed, director of the Bangladesh Joint River Commission. “At Farakka, we check whether water is being released for Bangladesh as agreed. At Hardinge Bridge, we verify that the released water actually reaches Bangladesh.”

The treaty, signed on 12 December 1996 in New Delhi by then Indian Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and then Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is valid for 30 years. From 1 January to 31 May each year, water from the Ganges at Farakka in West Bengal is shared between the two countries according to specified rules:

If river flow at Farakka is up to 70,000 cusecs, water is split equally.

If flow is between 70,001 and 75,000 cusecs, Bangladesh receives a maximum of 36,000 cusecs, with the remainder going to India.

If flow exceeds 75,000 cusecs, India retains 40,000 cusecs, and the rest goes to Bangladesh.

A guaranteed flow of 35,000 cusecs is ensured for each country in alternating ten-day periods from 11 March to 10 May, when river flow is typically lower. The current treaty expires in December 2026.

Bangladesh and India share 54 rivers, but only the Ganges has a formal water-sharing agreement. Talks over the Teesta River have long stalled due to objections from West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Despite heightened tensions following the fall of Hasina’s government in August 2024, Joint River Commission meetings have continued in Dhaka, Delhi, and Kolkata. Commission sources said both countries have agreed in principle to renew the Ganges water-sharing treaty, with formal negotiations expected once the new Bangladeshi government assumes office.