Bihar must get a voice in the Ganga water-sharing deal

As India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Sharing Treaty approaches its expiry, Bihar faces a crucial moment in its long-running struggle over water. The state bears the  consequences of upstream extraction and downstream obligations at Farakka, yet has had little say in decisions that directly affect its agriculture, and livelihoods

The Ganga is not merely a 2,525-kilometer-long ecological lifeline; it is also the epicentre of a deepening hydro-political conflict within Indian federalism. In Bihar, the Ganga spans a length of approximately 16,205 square kilometers, with nearly 80 percent of the state’s geographical region falling under the Ganga River plains or its sub-basins. While Bihar’s internal tributaries contribute over 50 percent of the river’s total water flow during the dry season, the state remains a victim of severe downstream hydrological neglect. Upper-riparian states such as Uttar Pradesh and Haryana extract massive volumes of water for urban centers and intensive agriculture. Consequently, the natural flow of the river reaching Bihar is drastically depleted. Despite this, the full burden of meeting downstream and international supply mandates at Farakka falls squarely on Bihar.

To understand Bihar’s developmental crisis, it is essential to analyse how upper-riparian extraction, central neglect, and treaty allocations have systematically marginalized the state. Furthermore, downstream obligations mandate that adequate water flow reaches the Farakka Barrage to fulfill national navigation demands at the Kolkata and Haldia ports. The Kolkata and Haldia ports serve not only West Bengal but also connect landlocked states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal to maritime routes, while simultaneously honouring international treaty terms with Bangladesh.

As a result, the onus of maintaining this downstream flow falls almost entirely on the tributaries merging into the Ganga within Bihar. To protect its citizens from recurring droughts, severe floods, and ecological imbalances, the Government of Bihar has repeatedly raised the fundamental issue of equitable and fair water usage by upper-riparian states. In 1991, the state constituted the Second Bihar State Irrigation Commission to evaluate water resource issues. The commission concluded that during dry months (March and April), the sub-basin’s contribution to the Ganga was significantly lower than the central requirements assessed by the Central Water Commission (CWC) in 1982, which mandated a flow of 1,500 cusecs at Farakka. This forces Bihar to release nearly three times its designated share of water. To bridge this gap between water availability and downstream mandates, the Central Government must restrict water extraction by upper-riparian states during the dry season (January to April). An effective water flow mechanism at Farakka is urgently needed to safeguard downstream interests.

Bihar has been consistently side-lined in inter-state and international meetings and discussions. During the construction of the Kanpur Barrage (1995) on the Ganga, the Uttar Pradesh government was invited for special consultations, while downstream interests were ignored. During a debate in the State Assembly on June 30, 1995, the Bihar government argued that before the river’s ecological health is permanently threatened, the Central Government must address these systemic imbalances. Bihar expressed strong disagreement with the 1996 Ganga Water Sharing Treaty with Bangladesh because, despite being a major riparian state, it was excluded from the core negotiations.

Although international treaties fall entirely under the constitutional domain of the Central Government, water management remains a State subject. Excluding middle/upper-riparian states like Bihar from treaty negotiations creates a severe imbalance in cooperative federalism, especially when extensive consultations are conducted with downstream states like West Bengal. Signed on December 12, 1996, the 30-year treaty aims to share Ganga waters for mutual benefits in flood management, irrigation, basin development, and hydropower.

The treaty mandates a 50-50 allocation during peak dry season, provided that each country receives a minimum of 35,000 cusecs of water in alternating 10-day cycles between March 1 and May 10. Despite Bihar’s limited voice in international water allocation, its role at the Farakka Barrage remains the most critical. During the dry season, when the Ganga enters Buxar in Bihar from Uttar Pradesh, its flow drops to approximately 4,000 cusecs. To meet the minimum threshold set by the treaty at Farakka, 75 percent of the required additional water is supplied by Bihar’s internal tributaries (Gandak, Kosi, Ghaghara, Mahananda, and Son). In the absence of adequate water storage facilities, uncontrolled monsoon flows cause widespread devastation in North Bihar through severe flooding. Constructing a flood-control dam in the upper catchment area of the Kosi River in Nepal could prove to be a crucial pivot for Bihar’s safety and regional development.

Following the devastating floods of 2007, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar formed a high-level technical committee comprising experts from the Central Water Commission, Ganga Flood Control Commission, and Central Water and Power Research Station, headed by Nilendu Sanyal. The committee recommended regular monitoring, anti-silting measures, and dredging to prevent embankment breaches, alongside establishing diplomatic and technical coordination with Nepal. However, these recommendations were never implemented. The Sanyal Committee never identified the Farakka Barrage as the primary cause of flooding, nor did it demand its decommissioning. Despite this, going against the report of the technical committee set up by his own government, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar submitted a proposal to a central expert committee in 2017, arguing that the Farakka Barrage acts as an obstruction by trapping heavy amounts of silt upstream, raising the riverbed level of the Ganga and causing floods in Bihar.

Thus, Bihar officially requested the Central Government to consider decommissioning it. Conversely, technical committees formed by the Bihar government from time to time have not attributed the siltation problem to the Farakka Barrage. Construction of the Farakka Barrage began in 1961, specifically designed to divert Ganga water into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system to flush silt from the Kolkata and Haldia ports. The Farakka Barrage is an economic lifeline for the Kolkata and Haldia ports and a vital maritime corridor for a landlocked state like Bihar.

As we know that, following the partition of India, the lower portion of the Ganga went to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), cutting off maritime trade access for Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal. Moreover, removing the barrage would escalate inter-state conflicts, as West Bengal relies on it for water supply, power plants, and irrigation. The Central Water Commission also periodically prioritizes desilting and dredging.

As the 1996 Ganga Water Sharing Treaty reaches the end of its 30-year term on December 12, 2026, the Bihar government must demand formal representation in the treaty renegotiations. Even though water sharing is a central subject, Bihar endures its physical consequences. An institutionalized role in the Joint River Commission’s negotiation delegation alongside West Bengal is the need of the hour.

The Samrat Choudhary administration must present comprehensive data on agricultural, industrial, and drinking water requirements for the next 30 years. Furthermore, the scientific data compiled by the Second Bihar Irrigation Commission should serve as an important baseline. The Bihar government must urge the Centre to implement a National Silt Management Policy focused on systematic dredging. The Central Government should also direct upper-riparian states to engage in formal dialogue with Bihar. The upcoming deadline offers an opportunity to update the 30-year-old framework using modern climate data. Today’s necessity is to maintain a balance in foreign relations with Bangladesh while addressing Bihar’s legitimate concerns regarding drought and flood management. Only a collaborative and equitable framework can restore the ecological health of the Ganga while safeguarding the social and economic stability of all riparian stakeholders.

Although international treaties fall entirely under the constitutional domain of the Central Government, water management remains a State subject. Excluding middle/upper-riparian states like Bihar from treaty negotiations creates a severe imbalance in cooperative federalism, especially when extensive consultations are conducted with downstream states like West Bengal.

Sudhakar Singh is Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha, RJD) & Prof. Subodh Kumar Mehta is  National Spokesperson of RJD; Views presented are personal.