West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday lambasted the central government of India over the distribution of Teesta and Ganges water to Bangladesh. He also sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard. He alleged that the central government of India is trying to sell water to Bangladesh without any discussion with the state. Mamata even warned that if the Center takes a unilateral decision, then a movement will be formed across the country to protest against it. But the central government of India completely dismissed this demand of Mamata.
Citing reliable sources, news agency PTI reported that the West Bengal government had already been informed by the central government about the renewal of the Ganga water agreement. According to central government sources, the Center wrote a letter to the West Bengal government on July 24, 2023. It asked for a nominated representative from the state in the committee constituted for internal review of the renewal of the Ganga water sharing agreement between India and Bangladesh signed in 1996. On August 25 of the same year, the Chief Engineer (Design and Research) of the State Ministry of Irrigation and Waterways was nominated for the committee by the State Government.
On April 5, 2024, the State Government's Joint Secretary, Ministry of Irrigation and Waterways had written a letter informing them of their total water demand for the next 30 years from the downstream part of Farakka Barrage.
Mamata Banerjee has been blamed by the central government for the pollution that has started between India's Center and the state of West Bengal over the sharing of water with Bangladesh. The Center termed Mamata's allegation that the Center is trying to sell water by keeping the state government in the dark as a 'false claim'.
The West Bengal government has spread false claims that it was not consulted in the internal review of the 1996 India-Bangladesh agreement on sharing of Ganga water in Farakka, news agency ANI reported, citing sources.
Bd pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
