Bangladesh's interim government wants to restart with India the dialogue on the Teesta water sharing treaty, adviser on water resources Syeda Rizwana Hasan has said, asserting that upper-riparian and lower-riparian countries should adhere to international principles on the distribution of water. Speaking to PTI in Dhaka, Hasan expressed confidence that the Teesta treaty and other water-sharing agreements with India would be resolved amicably through dialogue but suggested that Bangladesh might consider international legal documents and principles if an agreement cannot be reached. I have discussed the issue of Teesta water sharing with all relevant stakeholders (in Bangladesh). We have discussed that we need to restart the process and dialogue regarding the Teesta treaty. We also have to work on the Ganges treaty, which is coming to an end in two years, she told PTI in an interview on Sunday. Both sides agreed, and a draft of the Teesta water-sharing agreement was prepared, but the
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Tuesday that Bangladesh would gauge proposals from both India and China to build a mega project on the cross-border Teesta River involving a reservoir and accept the better one for her country. Hasina, who visited India last week at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, described her trip as "very fruitful" and said the outcome of her talks with India's top leadership will play a "pivotal role" in strengthening the existing bilateral relations and opening new avenues of cooperation. "We undertook the Teesta projects. China has proposed, and so has India. We will evaluate both proposals and accept the one that is most beneficial and acceptable in terms of the interests of our people," the 76-year-old leader said while addressing a press conference here. Asked which side she favoured more as far as India and China were concerned regarding the Teesta Project, Hasina said, "We maintain our friendships based on the developmental needs of our
The Sikkim government has decided to form a high-level committee to examine the Teesta Stage III dam breach which was triggered by a sudden cloud bust and flash flood on October 4 at Chungthan in Mangan district, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said. The state cabinet meeting held on October 17 decided to form a high-level committee comprising technical experts, financial experts and subject experts to examine the allotment process of Teesta Stage III, 1,200 MW project keeping in view the credibility, genuineness and technical know-how, financial solvency, of the consortium which was building the dam, he said. "To address the gravity of the situation and ensure accountability, the Cabinet has directed... to form a high-level committee comprising technical experts, financial experts, and other relevant subject experts," Tamang said in a Facebook post. The committee will examine the change in DPR before the allotment of the project vis-a-vis technical and financial aspects. It will
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed hope that the row over sharing water of Teesta river -- a key bone of contention between her country and India -- will be resolved soon.
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina met PM Modi on her visit to India and the two leaders pledged to strengthen economic ties. Find out if ties between the two countries have shaped the way New Delhi wanted
India and Bangladesh on Tuesday signed an interim water sharing agreement for Kushiyara river, the first such pact since the signing of the Ganga water treaty in 1996. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina noted that India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers and sought early conclusion of the Teesta water sharing agreement, which has been hanging fire for more than a decade due to opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. India and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding on sharing of waters of Kushiyara river, a pact that will benefit people residing in southern Assam and the Sylhet division of Bangladesh. "Today, we have signed an important agreement on sharing water of the Kushiyara river. This will benefit southern Assam in India and Sylhet region in Bangladesh," Modi told reporters after the talks with Hasina. He said there were 54 rivers that pass through the Indo-Bangladesh border, and have been linked to the livelihood of the people of the two countri
India and Bangladesh on Thursday discussed issues related to water-sharing treaties of Teesta, Ganga and other rivers at a minister-level meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said. Bangladesh Minister of State for Water Resources Zaheed Farooque led a 17-member delegation at the ministerial talks with his Indian counterpart Shekhawat. "Attended the 38th India-Bangladesh ministerial level Joint Rivers Commission meeting at New Delhi. Bangladesh's Minister for Water Resources Mr. Zaheed Farooque attended it along with their 17-member delegation. "Issues related to water-sharing treaties of various rivers, including Teesta and Ganga were discussed," Shekhawat tweeted. Sources in the Jal Shakti Ministry said that bilateral cooperation in water-sharing and management came up at the JRC meeting and six other rivers other than Ganga and Teesta were also covered. The JRC meeting, the first since 2010, comes ahead of Bangladesh Pr
Indo-Bangla bonhomie masks critical gaps
India may not be in a position to offer a loan as attractive as China's. But it can give Dhaka something Beijing cannot - extra water in the lean season
The Teesta river is said to be the lifeline of Sikkim, flowing for almost the entire length of the state