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Bangladesh expert calls Ganga Water Treaty flawed and due for revision
Why in News?
Thirty years, one barrage, expiring 2026: the Ganga Water Treaty facts GS2 India-Bangladesh answers need
Renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty draws comment from Bangladesh.
Why it matters: general awareness
What you need to know
2 min read
A Bangladeshi river expert has said the Ganga Water Treaty is flawed and needs to be updated.
The treaty, signed between India and Bangladesh in 1996 for thirty years, governs the sharing of Ganga waters at the Farakka Barrage and is due for renewal at the end of 2026.
Sources: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
Key facts
Remember these
- The Ganga Water Treaty was signed between India and Bangladesh in 1996 for a period of thirty years.
- It governs the sharing of Ganga waters at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal.
- The treaty is due for renewal at the end of 2026.
- A Bangladeshi river expert has called the treaty flawed and in need of updating.
- Teesta water sharing is a separate, unresolved issue and is not covered by this treaty.
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- The Ganga Water Treaty of 1996 between India and Bangladesh has a validity of thirty years.
- The treaty deals with the sharing of Ganga waters at the Farakka Barrage, located in West Bengal.
- The treaty does not cover the sharing of Teesta river waters.
Mains
GS2 International Relations: India and neighbours. The issue is that the 1996 treaty, which fixes Ganga water sharing at Farakka, expires at the end of 2026 and Bangladesh's experts now call it flawed. India should negotiate a renewal that accounts for lean-season flows, climate variability and basin-wide data sharing, and pair it with progress on other shared rivers such as the Teesta to sustain river diplomacy.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Consider the following statements about the Ganga Water Treaty between India and Bangladesh:
- It was signed in 1996 for a period of thirty years.
- It governs the sharing of Ganga waters at the Farakka Barrage.
- It also provides for the sharing of the Teesta river waters.
How many of the above statements are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
Answer: B — Correct: Only two — Statements 1 and 2 are correct and statement 3 is wrong because Teesta water sharing is not covered by the treaty, so exactly two are correct. • Only one — wrong: Statements 1 and 2 are correct, so counting only one understates the answer. • All three — wrong: Statement 3 is wrong: the Teesta sharing arrangement was never concluded under this treaty, so all three cannot be correct. • None — wrong: Statements 1 and 2 describe the treaty accurately, so at least one is correct.
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