TMC MP Urges Centre to Consult WB on Teesta Water Release

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) Trinamool Congress MP Ritabrata Banerjee urged the central government to consult the West Bengal government before taking any decision on releasing Teesta River water to Bangladesh as it directly affects the state.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Banerjee said Teesta is the second largest river in the state and passes through several districts before entering Bangladesh.

He also pointed out that the flow of water has been affected due to the construction of a series of hydropower projects in Sikkim, deforestation in the upper catchment areas, and climate change.

"Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee had conveyed a strong reservation that no discussion regarding sharing the Teesta water and the Farakka treaty should be taken up with Bangladesh without the West Bengal government's involvement," the TMC MP said.

He further said the people of West Bengal would be the worst sufferers due to the impact of agreements on water sharing between India and Bangladesh.

River morphology has changed in the eastern part of India over many years, which has deprived West Bengal and negatively impacted the water availability in the state, the MP added.

The central government is in the process of renewing the Indo-Bangladesh Farakka treaty, which is set to expire in 2026, Banerjee said.

It has huge implications for the people as far as their livelihoods are concerned, and the water, diverted at Farakka barrage, is creating navigability problems for the Kolkata port, Banerjee said.

Mamta Banerjee has written to the Prime Minister thrice, highlighting that the Farakka barrage has caused flooding and erosion in West Bengal in a very big way.

The TMC member said water flow in the Teesta has gone down over the years and it is estimated that if the water is shared with Bangladesh, lakhs of people in the northern part of West Bengal will get severely impacted due to inadequate availability of irrigation water.

Besides, the river water is also needed to meet the drinking water requirements of the residents in the northern part of the state.

He also said that an Indo-Bhutan River Commission is the need of the hour, as flash floods from transboundary cause devastating impacts on the northern districts of West Bengal.

"I will request the Union government that the government of West Bengal needs to be consulted regarding the release of Teesta water to Bangladesh and also about the renewal clauses," the TMC MP said.