Bihar's ex-water minister urges rethink on Ganga treaty renewal

Janata Dal (United) national working president Sanjay Jha has publicly opposed the renewal of the 1996 India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty, arguing that the agreement has worked against Bihar's interests. Jha, who served as Bihar's Water Resources Minister from 2021 to 2024, made the remarks amid ongoing diplomatic discussions between New Delhi and Dhaka over the pact's future.

Speaking to a national daily, Jha pointed to three decades of data since the treaty's signing, asserting that it clearly shows a negative impact on Bihar. "If you have diplomatic issues to sort out between the two countries, my only point is that Bihar's interests, too, must be kept in mind," he said. He acknowledged that the treaty may have served certain international messaging purposes but maintained that it had come at a cost to the state.

The treaty, signed on December 12, 1996, is set to expire on December 31, 2026. The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet responded to queries on Jha's remarks.

The context includes strained India-Bangladesh relations. The pact was signed when the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, first came to power in Bangladesh. Hasina has been in India since August 2024, following a popular uprising that ousted her government. Dhaka has indicated that talks on a potential visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman were underway but that the atmosphere had been affected by a virtual press conference Hasina held in August.

Earlier this year, officials from Bangladesh visited India for a Joint Rivers Commission meeting in Kolkata and conducted a technical evaluation at Farakka. The interim government led by Prof. Mohammad Yunus, which held office between August 2024 and February 2026, had not held discussions on the treaty during its tenure.