Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her anger and disappointment over being left out of talks with the Bangladesh Government on the renewal of water sharing agreements. She has threatened to build up a widespread movement if Bengal’s water interests are sold out by the Centre. Banerjee has written a strong letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, criticizing the Centre for holding unilateral deliberations on the matter without consulting or including the state government.
The 1996 treaty between India and Bangladesh is scheduled to be renewed in 2026, and Banerjee emphasized that Bengal is an important stakeholder in this tripartite affair. However, she claimed that the Centre has left Bengal out and gone ahead with the negotiations unanimously, selling out the state’s interests. Bengal is currently losing acres of lands to erosion and flood due to the Farakka (Ganga) water sharing agreement, and Banerjee has repeatedly asked for compensation for the damages suffered by the state.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (Via Mamata Banerjee/Twitter)
Banerjee also expressed her concerns over the alleged move by the Centre to share the waters of River Teesta. She claimed that the Centre is planning to sell out the water of Teesta River, which would be detrimental to the interests of the people of North Bengal. Banerjee added that she too loves the people of Bangladesh but cannot sacrifice the interests of her own people. She vowed to build a widespread movement if the Centre goes ahead with its plans.
Additionally, Banerjee drew attention to the River Atreyi, which flows through Balurghat district of North Bengal. She alleged that Bangladesh has constructed a dam on the Atreyi River, which has led to a scarcity of water in the region. Banerjee claimed that the Centre has failed to address this issue, and now it is selling out Bengal’s interests by deciding to share waters of other rivers. She has repeatedly written to the Centre to take up this issue, but her pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Banerjee vowed that she would not let this happen and would continue to fight for Bengal’s interests.
