India Bangladesh Water Conflict at a Glance

The argument about the sharing of river water amongst India and Bangladesh started in 1951 when Bangladesh was the piece of Pakistan since India chose to build a dam at Farakka. Pakistan contradicted the development of the Farakka Barrage in 1951 and arrangement of correspondences they were thusly traded. In the 1960s and 1970s, a few gatherings were held where two nations negotiate over the river water sharing. In 1970 India recognized the Ganges as an International river. After the liberation, Bangladesh marked the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace with Indian in 1772 for the advancement of goodwill between the nations. Article VI of the treaty provides, “The Joint Committee shall set up suitable teams at Farakka and Hardinge Bridge to observe and record at Farakka the daily flows below Farakka Barrage, in the Feeder Canal, and at the Navigation Lock, as well as at the Hardinge Bridge. Pursuant to this treaty an Indo bangle Joint River Commission was established in 1972 for carrying out a comprehensive study of the river system.
Farakka Barrage was finished in 1971 and wound up plainly operational in 1975. In 1975 India and Bangladesh consented to a transitory allotment arrangement which was a legitimate justification for a time of 41 days; therefore Bangladesh raised the Farakka issue at the 31st session of the UN General Assembly in 1976. A short time later a respective dialogue amongst India and Bangladesh brought about the arrangement of water sharing an understanding in 1977 however the assertion went into just for the term of five years. A significant feature of the treaty was Article 2 it provided a ‘guarantee clause’ for Bangladesh by assuring it a minimum of 80 per cent of its shares during the lean period and further reinforces in Article 12 Bangladesh’s share of water cannot be reduced under any circumstances till the duration of the treaty.  At the point when the 1977 assertion slipped by in 1982, they marked two notice of comprehension (MOU) in 1982 and 1985 yet it did exclude at least 80 percent ‘ensure statement’. After the expiry of this MOU, a vacuum stayed till the water sharing settlement in 1996 was closed.
The Ganges water treaty does not provide a minimum ‘guarantee clause’, which was in 1977 agreement. In present Article II of treaty simply mentioned that “In the event flow at Farakka falls below 50,000 cusecs in any 10-day period, the two Governments will enter into immediate consultations to make adjustments on an emergency basis, in accordance with the principles of equity, fair play and no harm to either party”. The dispute resolution mechanism mentioned in Article VII “The Joint Committee shall be responsible for implementing the arrangements contained in this Treaty. Any difference or dispute arising in this regard, if not resolved by the Joint Committee, shall be referred to the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission. If the difference or dispute still remains unresolved, it shall be referred to the two Governments which shall meet urgently at the appropriate level to resolve it by mutual discussion”.
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