New Delhi, Nov 3 Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday said the state needs adequate water to establish industries and promote economic development, but the current terms of the Farakka Water Treaty with Bangladesh limit Bihar’s ability to fully utilise its share of Ganga water.
Addressing an event organised by NHAI here, Choudhary said under the Farakka Water Treaty, Bihar has the right to receive water for only four months of a year (July-October) and during these months, it rains in almost every part of the country, and water is readily available.
“I am not opposed to Bangladesh receiving its share of water. However, we also need water for agriculture and drinking purposes. Bihar is a poor state, and it needs water to establish industries and promote economic development. We can not compromise on this requirement. It is our necessity,” he said.
The Farakka Water Treaty (officially called the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty) was signed on December 12, 1996, between India and Bangladesh. The treaty regulates the sharing of the Ganga waters at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal, primarily during the dry season from January 1 to May 31. The treaty expires in December.
“The water-sharing agreement does not give us sufficient opportunities to use the water. It allows us access to water for only four months of the year (July-October).
“During these months, as you know, it rains in almost every part of the country, and water is readily available,” Choudhary said.
The barrage was built in 1975 to divert water from the Ganga into the Hooghly River to flush out silt and to keep Kolkata Port navigable.
The 1996 treaty established a 30-year binding framework (1996–2026) to replace earlier short-term stopgap arrangements and ensure predictable water distribution.
He said the people of Bihar are not suffering because of their own water; they are being devastated by water coming from elsewhere.
Seven major rivers in Bihar originate in Nepal and flow into the state
“Rivers flowing from Nepal’s Terai region cause immense hardship, devastation, and destruction in Bihar; the annual losses amount to Rs 10,000 crore,” Choudhary said.
He also said the Bihar government is ready to issue the necessary stone mining permissions to NHAI for construction purposes.
(PTI News)
