New Ganges water treaty to be signed by Dec 12Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has expressed hope that a new Ganges water-sha...
Published by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network
New Ganges water treaty to be signed by Dec 12
Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has expressed hope that a new Ganges water-sharing treaty with India will be signed before December 12 this year, reports agencies.Access Services
"Restoring the guarantee clause, as included in the 1977 agreement, is one of Bangladesh's top priorities in the new treaty," Anee told reporters after a seminar titled 'Rethinking the Future of Water: Youth Leadership, Justice and Cooperation', organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the capital on Thursday.
The minister said the existing 30-year agreement would expire on December 12.
"A five-year agreement signed in 1977 during the tenure of then-president Ziaur Rahman contained a guarantee clause, but the provision was dropped when the new treaty was signed in 1996," he said.
"We must conclude a new Ganges water treaty before December 12," Anee said, adding that Bangladesh and India are maintaining regular communication through the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC).
"Based on meetings between the two countries, Bangladesh is optimistic that the new treaty will be finalised ahead of the deadline," he said.
The minister also said work on the Padma Barrage project would become visible between January and March next year.Follow Politics
The government was also moving ahead with plans to complete the feasibility study of the Teesta Multipurpose Project and begin its main construction work in 2027, he said.
Describing the Padma Barrage and Teesta Master Plan as mega projects of major national importance, Anee said around one-third of the country's population would benefit once they were implemented.
The Padma Barrage project has already been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), he added.
"We hope the work will become visible sometime in January, February or March next year," he said.
Regarding the Teesta Master Plan, the minister described it as another major challenge for the government.
"The Teesta is a swift-flowing river, and people living downstream have long suffered because of water coming from upstream," he said, stressing the need for technical assistance from both local and international experts.
Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has expressed hope that a new Ganges water-sharing treaty with India will be signed before December 12 this year, reports agencies.Access Services
"Restoring the guarantee clause, as included in the 1977 agreement, is one of Bangladesh's top priorities in the new treaty," Anee told reporters after a seminar titled 'Rethinking the Future of Water: Youth Leadership, Justice and Cooperation', organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the capital on Thursday.
The minister said the existing 30-year agreement would expire on December 12.
"A five-year agreement signed in 1977 during the tenure of then-president Ziaur Rahman contained a guarantee clause, but the provision was dropped when the new treaty was signed in 1996," he said.
"We must conclude a new Ganges water treaty before December 12," Anee said, adding that Bangladesh and India are maintaining regular communication through the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC).
"Based on meetings between the two countries, Bangladesh is optimistic that the new treaty will be finalised ahead of the deadline," he said.
The minister also said work on the Padma Barrage project would become visible between January and March next year.Follow Politics
The government was also moving ahead with plans to complete the feasibility study of the Teesta Multipurpose Project and begin its main construction work in 2027, he said.
Describing the Padma Barrage and Teesta Master Plan as mega projects of major national importance, Anee said around one-third of the country's population would benefit once they were implemented.
The Padma Barrage project has already been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), he added.
"We hope the work will become visible sometime in January, February or March next year," he said.
Regarding the Teesta Master Plan, the minister described it as another major challenge for the government.
"The Teesta is a swift-flowing river, and people living downstream have long suffered because of water coming from upstream," he said, stressing the need for technical assistance from both local and international experts.
Tags
- Water Resources
- Economics Of Water Resources Projects
- Governance & Planning
- India
- Construction of Water Projects
- international
- Bangladesh