INDIAN GEOGRAPHY

Detailed explanation-1: -However, a comprehensive bilateral treaty was signed by Indian Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed on 12 December 1996 in the Indian capital New Delhi. The treaty established a 30-year water-sharing arrangement and recognised Bangladesh’s rights as a lower-level riparian.

Detailed explanation-2: -A new chapter in the Indo-Bangladesh relations opened up with signing of a Treaty by the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh on 12th December 1996 (Link below) on the sharing of Ganga/Ganges waters. The Treaty shall remain in force for a period of thirty years to be renewable by mutual consent.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty between Bangladesh and India, signed on 12 December 1996 for a period of 30 years (GWT, 1996), was marked as a major footstep towards the conclusion of a longstanding conflict over sharing of the Ganges water.

Detailed explanation-4: -In 1977, the Ganges Waters Agreement was negotiated, which regulated water distribution for five years. It was not until 1996 that a formal treaty was signed. The treaty is known as the Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty and regulates water distribution from Farakka Barrage over a thirty year period.

Detailed explanation-5: -As India and Bangladesh continue to engage on the river water issues, a question that emerges is how will the two sides act on the 1996 Ganges Water Treaty, which is set to expire in 2026. As per Article XII of the Ganges Treaty of 1996, it may be renewed by mutual consent.