New Delhi: Noting that the Ganga Water Treaty of 1996 between India and Bangladesh is set to expire this year, a parliamentary panel has urged the government to initiate discussions with Dhaka “without further delay”.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, said this in a report tabled in Parliament on Thursday.
It is titled — “Action Taken by the Government on the Observations/ Recommendations contained in the Ninth Report of the Committee on the subject ‘Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship'”.
Noting that the treaty is set to expire in 2026 and that bilateral discussions on its renewal had not yet commenced, the committee has recommended early initiation of renewal discussions, guided by updated hydrological data and climate change projections, and in consultation with the state governments of West Bengal and Bihar, the report said.
The Ganga Water Treaty of 1996 is a bilateral agreement governing the sharing of waters from the Ganga River at the Farraka Barrage for a period of 30 years.
The committee has noted that an inter-ministerial committee was constituted in July 2023 for an internal review of the treaty and that bilateral discussions are expected to commence under the new government in Bangladesh.
“While these are steps in the right direction, the committee are concerned that with the treaty due to expire in 2026, time is running short,” it said.
The panel has urged the government to “initiate bilateral discussions with Bangladesh without further delay” to “avoid any vacuum in the post- 2026 period”.
The internal review by the inter-ministerial committee should be concluded expeditiously so that India’s negotiating position is ready, it has recommended.
Also, consultations with the state governments of West Bengal and Bihar must be sustained throughout the process, it said.
The committee said it has been informed that the Ganga Water Treaty involved significant participation from West Bengal, with the state’s finance minister playing a key role in formulating the treaty provisions.
The West Bengal government also participated in the most recent meeting of JRC (Joint Rivers Commission) held in Kolkata in March 2025.
The panel has further recommend that the renewal process should be guided by updated hydrological data, climate change projections, and the need for “equitable and sustainable utilisation of river waters”.
The panel also underscored the importance of addressing West Bengal’s concerns on the Teesta during negotiations.
The committee reiterated that a “fair, equitable and mutually acceptable agreement remains a priority and that the concerns of West Bengal must be duly addressed”.
It expressed hope that both sides will approach these negotiations “constructively” and conclude them in a “timely manner”.
