India has reiterated that water-sharing issues concerning the Ganges with Bangladesh fall under the Joint River Commission (JRC), responding to Dhaka’s call for a new agreement before the existing treaty expires in December.
“All river-related issues take place within the ambit of the Joint River Commission,” Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a biweekly media briefing in New Delhi today (9 October).
He was responding to a question about Bangladesh Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee’s recent statement expressing hope that a new Ganges water-sharing agreement would be signed before 12 December, when the current 30-year treaty expires.
Anee has called for a fresh agreement, describing the existing treaty as “flawed” because it lacks a provision guaranteeing water supplies to Bangladesh, particularly during the dry season.
The Ganges water-sharing arrangement remains a key concern for Bangladesh, with dry-season water availability a major issue in its relations with India.
With the treaty approaching its expiry, the two countries face the challenge of reaching a new arrangement to govern the sharing of Ganges water.
Source: https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/ganges-water-sharing-bangladesh-be-discussed-under-jrc-india-1567691
