Panchali Saikia IWMI, New Delhi (Paper co-authored with Dr. Bharat Shama, IWMI)

Indo-Bangladesh Trans-boundary Ganges Water Interactions: Water Sharing to Collective Water Management

CPWF Conference, Dhaka 22nd October 2014

Research Objective

• Identify trans-boundary water sharing and management challenges • Review the negotiation history and implementation of the 1996 GWT and

current institutional arrangements • To explore and recommend avenues for cooperation over Ganges not just

for water sharing but also a basin-wide development approach, for consideration by the national policy-makers of the riparian states.

Research Question

• What would be the viable approach of trans-boundary river basin management over the Ganges?

Research Methodology

• A qualitative and quantitative secondary data analysis. The existing documents, policy papers, reports and other available literatures analysed.

• Current strategies and mechanism of cooperation over the Ganges • Interviews conducted with policy and technical expertise, senior scholars,

academicians, government officials, NGOs, INGOs in India and Bangladesh.

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WATER SHARING DISPUTE: FARAKKA BARRAGE

Source: Kolkata Port Trust

1957 Walter Henson’s Report-proposed barrage at Farakka to feed Kolkata Port

Construction started in 1962 and completed in 1975. Its a 2,225 meter long barrage with site location at 16.5 km from the Bangladesh border and 300km north of Kolkata.

A feeder canal was constructed, 38.38 km long, bed width of 150.8m. with full supply depth of 6.10m and capacity of 1133 cumec (40,000 cusec). Excavation of the feeder canal took place in 1979.

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WATER SHARING ARRANGEMENTS:

Changing political dynamics posed major hindrances in the water sharing arrangements

An agreement met to temporarily operate the barrage for 41 days in 1975 as shown in the figure below. Along was formed a joint team of experts to monitor.

November 1977 agreement, with quantum of water release based on 75% availability from record flow at Farakka from 1948-73 and the 80 percent guarantee clause provision with formation of Joint Committee

1982 and 1985 MoUs-short term arrangements. No agreements/arrangements were met for almost eight years (1989-1996)

Month

Ten-day period

Withdrawal

April,1975 21st to 30th 11,000 cusecs May, 1975 1st to 10th 12,000 cusecs

11th to 20th 15,000 cusecs 21st to 31st 16,000 cusecs

Source: JRC, Bangladesh

Unwilling Political Environment Or Bureaucratic Inefficiency?

1970 agreement with Pakistan government(East Pakistan)

Statute signed in 1972 and establishment of JRC

Inefficiency in the institutional arrangements –failure in monitoring, and conducting joint studies, short-term measures.

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1996 Ganges Water Treaty Formula Flow at Farakka (m3 /s) < 70,000 70,000–75,000 > 75,000

India’s share 50% Balance of flow 40,000 m3/s

   

Bangladesh’s share 50% 35,000 m3/s Balance of flow

Provisions for water sharing of Ganges at the Farakka border during dry seasons, operational between January 1 and May 31 each year.

1996 GANGES WATER SHARING TREATY

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Source: Salman and Uprety, 2002 Annexure I establish the formula of water sharing of Ganges at Farakka during dry season Annexure II provides an indicative schedule of the sharing arrangement based on 40 years (1949-88), a 10-day [period average availability of water at Farakka

CONCERNS IN BANGLADESH Daily Flow Regime of Ganges at Hardinge Bridge

Source: JRC (B) and Processing & FFWC, BWDB and complied by consultants Schedule of Sharing (Annex-II of the Treaty), 2010

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GORAI RIVER SYSTEM

Source: IWM, Dhaka

Gorai flows declining progressively

Gorai might fully dislocate from the Ganges by 2030

Siltation has formed a hump at the Gorai offtake. It is a huge silt dam, about 18 feet high [5.5 meters] and 30km along the river channel

Restoring through dredging since 1998 which is the only measure but relatively expensive 7

Reduction of Inflow to GDA of Bangladesh

Flow at Gorai Railway Bridge

0 50

100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Cum

ec

Source: BWDB, Dhaka, 2010

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FINDINGS: COMMON CONCERNS & CHALLENGES

Hooghly-Bhagirathi River in West Bengal, India

Gorai River in Bangladesh

low dry season freshwater flow

Increasing siltation, accumulation of sediments

Small Rivers and distributaries getting dried and disconnected

River bed erosion, formation of charlands and the socio-economic

vulnerabilities

water resources along the areas of the river basin are depleting

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Reduced length of waterways used for navigation

HOOGHLY-BHAGIRATHI RIVER CHANNEL

Shankhapur-Moyapur cut-off

Source: Hydraulic Department, Kolkata Port Trust

Bishnupur-Charchakundi cut-off

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Minimum flow of 40,000 cusec not met

Flow in the Hooghly during wet season is in the order of 5700 cubic meter per second, and it gets as low as 60 cubic

meter per second in dry summer

The Farraka Barrage constructed to feed the Kolkata port now seems to be loosing its objective

Navigability of the Kolkata Port

Low draft of 7-9 meters. the traffic dropped to 7.8 % in 2012-13 at 39.88 million tonnes as compared to 43.35 million tonnes achieved in 2011-12.

Increasing siltation have limited the usage of these

ports by big vessels and even small vessels to navigate

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Subsidy from government to mitigate heavy siltation is enormous. Dredging of 7 million cubic meters in

1974-75 has gone up to 14 cubic meters in 1995-96.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS-JRC •  Established to facilitate the negotiation process between the two countries over

sharing of the common rivers.

•  Maintain liaison to ensure the most effective joint efforts in maximising the benefits from common river systems to both the countries(Article 4).

•  In the present context the objectives of this joint institution seems to be diluting. Exist as an individual national institution rather than a joint institution.

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POLICY RECOMMENDATION Water Diplomacy & Dialogue

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Ministers of the concerned

departments of all riparian countries of GBM Basin

Track 1 diplomacy

Consortium Group-development organizations, INGOs, NGOs, Universities etc.

Track 1.5/2 diplomacy

Track 3 diplomacy-People to people

dialogue at grassroots level

Task Force/Study Group

Joint Research Study Report

A joint institutional framework–mutually agreed

Proposed Governance Structure

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Ministerial Council

Basin Authority -

JRC

National Committee (Ganges,

Brahmaputra, Meghna)

Basin Community Committee

Secretariat Donors Consultative Group, Development

Partners

Technical & Administrative

team

Planning and decision-making body

Pilot projects/training workshops for the stakeholders

Joint Research Study Group, M&E, Working Groups for various sectors

Includes all riparian countries of GBM basin

Joint research study on morphological and hydrological changes of Ganges River

Collectively address the challenges and conduct joint research studies

Policy Initiatives

Proposed Joint Studies

Joint optimum utilization and

management over the surfacewater and groundwater(TBAs)

Joint development initiatives for the

charland population

Area studies/macro-basin level studies Demographic study of these islands along and within the borders

Transparency in data and information sharing

Resettlement and rehabilitation programs, disaster management, joint border cooperation

Monitoring devices and warning

systems for charland population

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www.iwmi.org Water for a food-secure world

The riparian countries must approach the basin as a single ecological entity and the elements of sustainability and equity should be incorporated in both the national and regional water planning and

policy goals.

THANK YOU

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