India, Bangladesh begin joint water measurements as Ganges Treaty enters final year

Dhaka: India and Bangladesh on Thursday began joint water measurement on the Padma and the Ganga rivers as the 30-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty entered its final year.

Water measurement began at a point 3,500 feet upstream of the Hardinge Bridge on the Padma River in Bangladesh and also at the Farakka point on the Ganga river in India, Dhaka Tribune said, quoting hydrology officials.

A two-member Indian team, led by Saurabh Kumar, deputy director of India's Central Water Commission (CWC), and Sunny Arora, assistant director of the commission, has arrived in Bangladesh while a four-member Bangladeshi team, headed by Arifin Zubaed, executive engineer of the North-Eastern Measurement Hydrology Division of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, has travelled to India for the joint measurement, it said.

“Given the prevailing situation, we are giving special attention to ensuring the security of the team. The ministry of water resources earlier sent a letter to the home ministry, and additional security measures have been taken for the Indian team,” said Shibber Hossain, executive engineer of the hydrology division in Pabna, about 150 kilometres northwest of Dhaka.

Both countries will measure water levels at various designated points in the Ganga and Padma from January 1 to May 31, with measurements recorded every 10 days, as stipulated in the treaty.

Signed in 1996 between India and Bangladesh, the 30-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty is set to expire in December 2026. The two countries have already begun discussions on its renewal.