Farakka Treaty: Bihar Dy CM seeks end to 1,500-cusec water release obligation

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said on Tuesday that the state's interests had been ignored on issues related to the India-Bangladesh Farakka Water Treaty and the Farakka Barrage. He demanded that the obligation to release 1,500 cusecs of water during the lean period be abolished. Addressing a press conference in Patna, Choudhary said that when the Farakka Water Treaty was signed in 1996, there was a UPA government at the Centre and a government in Bihar led by Lalu Prasad Yadav. Both governments, he said, ignored Bihar's interests and did injustice to the state. Advertisement The JD(U) leader said that, in order to comply with the provisions of the Farakka Water Treaty, Bihar is required to release 1,500 cusecs of water during the lean period. This, he said, leads to drought-like conditions in several parts of the state. Advertisement At the same time, he said, the largest share of water entering the Ganga comes through Bihar's tributaries. Therefore, it is essential that Bihar's water interests be given priority. Choudhary categorically stated that the obligation on Bihar to release 1,500 cusecs of water during the lean period should be abolished. This water could instead be used in Bihar to meet essential requirements such as industrial development, drinking water and irrigation. He said that the Farakka Barrage has resulted in severe silt accumulation in the Ganga, making the river shallower. This has affected the river's natural flow and led to increasingly serious flooding and erosion in areas of the Ganga basin. Recently, severe erosion occurred in Bhagalpur district due to a change in the course of the Ganga. Senior officials camped there for a week, overseeing anti-erosion work on a war footing, and the embankment was secured. The Deputy Chief Minister also said that, at Bihar's initiative, the Central Government has prepared a framework for a National Silt Management Policy, and further action on it is underway. He said that recently, Bihar's water interests concerning Farakka were strongly presented before External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and the Union Water Resources Minister CR Patil. The Central government has assured that, while taking decisions on matters related to Farakka, Bihar's drinking water and industrial water requirements will be taken into consideration.