West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday voiced her objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding recent discussions on water sharing between India and Bangladesh. In her letter, she criticised the Centre’s “unilateral” approach to the Teesta water-sharing proposal, stating that such decisions made without state consultation are unacceptable.
“I am writing this letter in the context of the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. It seems that water-sharing issues relating to the Ganges and Teesta rivers may have been discussed during the meeting. Such unilateral deliberations and discussions without consultation and the opinion of the state government is neither acceptable nor desirable,” she wrote in a three-page letter to PM Modi.
The talks on the distribution of the Ganga and Teesta river waters coincided with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Delhi, shortly after attending Prime Minister Modi’s oath ceremony for his third term.
Mamata expressed concerns about the potential renewal of the India-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty (1996), set to expire in 2026, highlighting its significant impact on West Bengal.
“I came to understand that the Government of India is in the process of renewing the India-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty (1996) which is to expire in 2026. It is a treaty which delineates of sharing of water between Bangladesh and India and as you are aware it has huge implications for the people of West Bengal,” Mamata wrote.
She pointed out past cooperation between West Bengal and Bangladesh on various issues, such as the exchange of enclaves, and the establishment of railway and bus services. However, she emphasized the critical importance of water, describing it as the lifeline of the people and something that cannot be compromised.
She highlighted the deteriorating condition of the Teesta river on the Indian side, attributing it to hydropower projects in Sikkim and deforestation in the river’s upper catchment area. Mamata stated that there is insufficient water in the Teesta to share with Bangladesh.
“It seems that in the meeting, Government of India has proposed a bilateral cooperation between India and Bangladesh for restoration of Teesta in Bangladesh. I am surprised by the fact that no concrete steps have been taken by the ministry of Jal Shakti to restore the river in its original form and health on the India side,” she wrote.
Mamata warned that sharing the already depleted Teesta waters with Bangladesh would severely impact lakhs of people in north Bengal, making such an arrangement unfeasible.
