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Bangladesh has expressed its concern over India’s plan to divert water from the Teesta River by digging two more canals and installing two hydroelectric dams upstream in its West Bengal state, TV channel 24NewsHD reported.
Well-known scholar, Professor Dr. Ashok Swain, on Twitter highlighted the issue where he said that Bangladesh defines India’s departure from Teesta as alarming.
Teesta water pipeline from India is alarming, says Bangladesh https://t.co/xVeD6FEV8G
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) March 18, 2023
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According to reports, the West Bengal Irrigation Department had taken possession of approximately 1,000 acres of land to dig two more canals under the Teesta Barrage Project to divert water for agriculture.
Under the new project, India will construct three hydroelectric power plants in Darjeeling, two of which will draw water from the Teesta River.
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Bangladesh is ready to write to India asking for clarification and information on the projects launched by the Indian government to dig canals to divert water from the shared river for agricultural use.
Bangladesh Water Resources Minister Zahid Faruk said that these reports are alarming, we do not know anything about them officially and therefore we are going to send a letter to the Indian government to seek an explanation.
The 414 km (257 mi) Teesta River originates in the eastern Himalayas and crosses northern Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has 57 transboundary rivers, 54 of which are shared with India and three with Myanmar.
Bangladesh will send a letter to India seeking an explanation for the diversion of the river.
During the upcoming visit of Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, to India, on the 7th-10th. April, the most important issue discussed by the two countries is expected to be the agreement to release 48% of the water from the Teesta River to Bangladesh.
The Teesta is the fourth largest transboundary river shared between India and Bangladesh, after the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM) river system. The total catchment area of the GBM is about 1.75 million square kilometers. Originating in the Indian state of Sikkim, the Teesta has a total length of 414 km, of which 151 km lies in Sikkim, 142 km flows along the Sikkim-West Bengal border and through West Bengal, and 121 km runs in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the river mainly affects the five northern districts of Rangpur Division: Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Rangpur.
According to a report, the plain covers about 14% of the total cropped area of Bangladesh and provides direct livelihood opportunities to about 7.3% of its population.
Bangladeshi officials said the river usually provides water for irrigation to 55,000 hectares of agricultural land during the dry season, but this year it provided water to only 35,000 hectares due to a lack of water flow in the Teesta River and other canal improvement works. of the Teesta barrage project.
Teesta Barrage, located 44 km (27 mi) northeast of Nilphamari, began operations in 1979.
They said the river almost dried up during the dry season due to irrigation and water management upstream in India. If the waters are diverted further, the entire downstream Teesta ecosystem will suffer, they added.