JRC meet begins July 19
Focus on Teesta, 5 other rivers likely
A two-day meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), the first in seven years, begins in Dhaka on July 19 to take up the issue of permanent sharing of the Teesta waters and review the problems encountered in implementation of the Ganges water sharing accord, sources said yesterday. Indian Minister for Water Resources Sis Ram Ola is due to arrive in the city on July 18 at the head of a 11-member team comprising water experts and senior officials to participate in the meeting. This will be the 32nd meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission, a body formed in 1972 to resolve water sharing issues between India and Bangladesh. However, the JRC remained dormant for a long time and this will be the first meeting in seven years. The last meeting was held in Dhaka in June 1990. The decision to reactivate the JRC was announced after the official talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the then Indian Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda in Dhaka on January 6. Earlier, a three-day meeting of the JRC was scheduled to begin in Dhaka from April 10. But it was subsequently cancelled due to the political change in Delhi at that time. The upcoming JRC meeting is expected to give special attention to the recommendations of the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Committee (JC), set up under the provision of the Ganges accord. The Joint Committee gave a detailed annual report on the problems encountered in implementing the Ganges water accord during the first year, ending with the dry season in May. Among other recommendations, the JC also suggested carrying out a scientific study for finding the reasons for shortfall in the flow of water to Bangladesh side of the Ganges. The JRC meeting will also discuss sharing of waters of other common rivers with particular focus on Teesta and at least five other rivers, it was learnt. It is also expected to deliberate on flood management, flood forecasting, irrigation, river basin development and sharing of waters of other cross-border rivers. Bangladesh shares 54 common rivers, of which accord on only the Ganges was reached in December last. Both sides mentioned in the Ganges treaty that they are "desirous of sharing by mutual agreement the waters of the international rivers flowing through the territories of the two countries and making optimum utilisation of the water resources of their region." Talks on finding a permanent sharing formula for the Teesta waters is expected to be a vital agenda against the backdrop of both countries having constructed barrages on the river. A permanent arrangement with India for sharing of the Teesta waters will allow unhindered and optimum use of Teesta barrage. It was learnt that at the upcoming meeting of the JRC, Bangladesh will also seek India's participation in construction of the proposed Ganges barrage. India's assurance in this regard was given during the last meeting of the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission, held in New Delhi from March 10 to 12.
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