JD(U) opposes renewal of Ganga treaty with Bangladesh, cites Bihar’s interests

The ruling JD(U) in Bihar on Friday opposed the renewal of the Ganga water treaty with Bangladesh, saying the agreement conflicts with the State’s interests.

JD(U) State president Umesh Kushwaha said the party’s stand was in line with the position taken by former chief minister Nitish Kumar, asserting that the concerns of the state’s people must be taken into account if the treaty is renewed.

“Our leader Nitish Kumar has always spoken against the treaty. Now, as the term of the agreement is about to end, our stand is clear that it should not be renewed as it hampers the interests of people of Bihar,” Kushwaha told reporters at the party headquarters.

The Ganga water treaty, also known as the Farakka water-sharing treaty, is a 30-year agreement signed by India and Bangladesh on December 12, 1996, to regulate the sharing of dry-season water flows at the Farakka Barrage.

Kushwaha blamed the then Bihar Government led by Lalu Prasad and the Deve Gowda-led Centre for allegedly failing to take into account the concerns of the people of the State while the treaty was signed.

He said silt accumulation on the Indian side of the Farakka Barrage leads to excess water which, when diverted to other streams, causes flooding and destruction in Bihar.

“The State has been braving the vagaries of deluge for decades, but now we are committed to putting the concerns of people of Bihar on the international stage,” Kushwaha said.

He also announced that he, JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha and other party leaders would undertake a “Nitish Samvad Yatra” from Saturday.

The yatra will begin in Buxar and cover 12 districts along the Ganga before culminating in Katihar, Kushwaha said.

“The route of Nitish Samvad Yatra coincides with the trajectory of the Ganga in Bihar. We will talk with people, take stock of the situation and their grievances,” he said.