Presented by Panchali Saikia, International Water Management Institute Revitalizing the Ganges Coastal Zone Conference 21-23 October 2014, Dhaka, Bangladesh http://waterandfood.org/ganges-conference/

1. 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

2. 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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3. 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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4. 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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5. 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

6. 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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7. 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

8. 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
Cumec
Source: BWDB, Dhaka, 2010
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9. 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

10. HOOGHLY-BHAGIRATHI RIVER CHANNEL
Shankhapur-Moyapur cut-off
Source: Hydraulic Department, Kolkata Port Trust
Bishnupur-Charchakundi cut-off
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11. 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.

12. 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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13. 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

14. Proposed Governance Structure
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Ministerial Council
Basin
Authority -
JRC
National Committee
(Ganges,
Brahmaputra,
Meghna)
Basin
Community
Committee
SecretariatDonors 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

15. 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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16. 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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