Ganga Treaty Renewal: Jaishankar Assures Bihar's Interests Will Be Considered
India will weigh Bihar's concerns before deciding on the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has assured that India will take Bihar's interests into account before deciding on the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty with Bangladesh. The assurance came in a letter to Janata Dal (U) MP Sanjay Jha, who had urged the government not to renew the pact, arguing that it has negatively affected the state.
The treaty, which governs the sharing of Ganga waters, is set to expire on December 31, 2026. Its renewal is expected to be a key item on the bilateral agenda between India and Bangladesh this year.
In his letter dated August 28, Mr. Jaishankar noted that inter-ministerial consultations involving relevant stakeholders have been held under the leadership of the Jal Shakti Ministry. He added that an authorised representative of the Bihar government participated in consultations held on August 22, 2023, October 30, 2023, March 15, 2024, and May 31, 2024. "The government will take the appropriate decision while keeping these factors in focus," he wrote.
Responding to the minister's letter, Mr. Jha expressed hope that the government would factor in Bihar's interests "fully and fairly." He stressed that the state is not seeking a favour but only what its own scientific assessment supports, so that 13 crore people do not face water shortages for drinking, irrigation, and industrial use for another three decades.
Mr. Jha, who served as Bihar's Water Resources Minister from 2021 to 2024, has been a vocal critic of the treaty. He has described it as a product of the 'Gujral Doctrine' era that projected a generous image of India but did not serve Bihar's interests. He has pointed to data from the past 30 years to argue that the treaty has negatively impacted the state and has called for allowing it to lapse.
The treaty's renewal also comes amid a lack of high-level political engagement between India and Bangladesh. Talks for a New Delhi visit by Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stalled after a virtual press conference by deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.