Apr 16, 2017 teesta river originates from sikkim state of india and flows through northern west bengal and finally to bangladesh meeting jamunaread brahmaputra. Teesta resolution critical but likely to elude india and bangladesh this time. This means that the flow through the rest of the year is a mere 6 bcm. Teesta river, sikkim, northern india installed capacity. Earlier, indopakistan krishenganga water sharing disputes. Jun 03, 2015 teesta river is one of the 54 rivers shared by india and bangladesh. However, sharing the waters of the teesta river, which originates in the himalayas and flows through sikkim and west bengal to merge with the brahmaputra in assam and jamuna in.
Apr, 2018 teesta river is lifeline of sikkim and makes a border between sikkim and west bengal before joining the brahmaputra as a tributary in bangladesh. Recently, prime minister narendra modi conveyed his hopes for the earliest solution to teesta water dispute to his bangladesh counterpart sheikh hasina. Read expert opinions, top news, insights and trends on the economic times. Halfa dozen districts of west bengal and more than 70% of the population in bangladesh is dependent on teesta river. The teesta river originates in sikkim and flows through west bengal as well as bangladesh. Political economy analysis of the teesta river basin. It is fed by streams arising in the thangu, yumthang and donkiala ranges. The controversy is about sharing of teesta water during the lean season. Teesta river is a major source of irrigation to the paddy growing greater rangpur region of bangladesh. The importance of power and water in the economic development of a country is undeniable. As the earth faces a severe water crisis, the insecurity is only increasing with time. The teesta river water issue between india and bangladesh. At a water flow measuring point close to teesta bazar, found that the rangit one of the major tributaries of the teesta has barely lost any flow in the last few years, in sharp contrast to the main stem of the teesta itself. Teesta has onesixteenth of water needed the third pole.
It enters bangladesh, joins brahmaputra, and ends in bay of bengal. River water interestsdisputes with indias neighbours as. River teesta originates at tso lamo, sikkim, flows through west bengal and then enters the rangpur division in bangladesh. Without any agreement with bangladesh, it has embarked on constructing dams and diverting water from many transboundary rivers such as teesta, gumti, khowai, dharla, dudkumar, monu etc. By 2030, bangladeshs water demand is expected to exceed available water supply by 21 percent in the dry season. The water management crisis of the teesta river glacierhub. Teesta river is one of the 54 rivers shared by india and bangladesh.
The dispute is regarding the sharing of the river waters. However, sharing the waters of the teesta river, which originates in the himalayas and flows through sikkim and west bengal to merge with the brahmaputra in assam and jamuna in bangladesh, is perhaps the most contentious. Bangladesh has sought an equitable distribution of teesta waters, on the lines of ganga water treaty of 1996. The indian prime ministers visit to bangladesh is considered a failure in public perception in bangladesh because his visit was much hyped as the heart of resolving longstanding water sharing issue on the teesta river. The teesta water sharing dispute has been simmering between india and bangladesh for a long time. By puskar on may 18, 2014 may 18, 2014 in news tagged teesta river, water. Summary india and bangladesh share 54 common streams with the teesta being a major one and the water sharing dispute between the two neighbours is not something new. Mar 21, 2020 recently, prime minister narendra modi conveyed his hopes for the earliest solution to teesta water dispute to his bangladesh counterpart sheikh hasina.
December 26, 2018 bangladeshindia relationship has taken a giant leap forward and many unresolved issues like teesta river agreement should be done away with. Will india and bangladesh soon come to a mutually acceptable water sharing agreement on the teesta river. Teesta river is lifeline of sikkim and makes a border between sikkim and west bengal before joining the brahmaputra as a tributary in bangladesh. It is this phenomenon reduction of teestas flow during lean season. The vansadhara water disputes tribunal, constituted in february 2010 to resolve river water sharing dispute between. Gorkhaland, and the save the buri teesta movement in bangladesh are also significant issues tied to the bilateral relations between the two riparian nations. But, mamata banerjee is the sole hurdle to the teesta river water treaty for the past six years. The volume of water in teesta is roughly about 18,00024,000 cusec of water each year. Comment 5 the why and how of getting the teesta agreement. Teesta river water dispute neo ias current affairs plus. It originates at tso lhamo lake in north sikkim and is formed by the melting of the tista khantse glacier. Cauvery verdict by supreme court for river dispute bw karnataka. It is this phenomenon reduction of teestas flow during lean season that is the bone of contention between india and bangladesh. This article gives a broad insight on the river water sharing dispute, a timeline of various commissions formed, proposed.
Geopolitics, myth and economics observer research foundation orf is a public policy thinktank that aims to influence formulation of policies for building a strong and prosperous india. The flow of the river is of prime importance to bangladesh during the winter season. This paper assesses the bangladeshindia water sharing disputes which date back to the early 1970s with indias illconceived construction of the farakka barrage on the ganges. The teesta river dispute makes headlines every time there is a bilateral talk between india and bangladesh. After the construction, it lowered down to 2,000 3,000 cusec of water annually. Manmohan singh planned to solve teesta dispute but the chief minister of west bengal opposed the move. The teesta river dispute explained in 10 points times of. Request pdf on may 1, 2019, natasha sinha and others published teesta river dispute. The interstate river water disputes act, 1956 irwd act is an act of the parliament of india enacted under article 262 of constitution of india on the eve of reorganization of states on linguistic basis to resolve the water disputes that would arise in the use, control and distribution of an interstate river or river valley.
Jul 31, 2017 the teesta river basin is widely known for the indobangladesh watersharing dispute and the political tussle between the government of west bengal and indias central government on giving. It flows between india and bangladesh and meet to jamuna river in bangladesh. Why india and bangladesh need a resolution on teesta water sharing. It forms the border between sikkim and west bengal.
Political e the teesta river basin the asia foundation. A geopolitical issue of india and bangladesh find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Shaikh hasina will face tremendous pressure from her country to push for an agreement on the teesta waters on her. Will india and bangladesh soon come to a mutually acceptable watersharing agreement on the teesta river.
The teesta barrage project, one of the largest irrigation projects in eastern india, was designed as a network of barrages and canals in six northern districts of west bengal intended for irrigation, hydropower generation, navigation, and flood control. To try and unpack the interests around water governance in the teesta basin, the analysis sought to identify and map key actors and. Teesta river is considered a lifeline of sikkim, a state in northeast india. The teesta dispute goes way back to 1947, when the boundary commission produced a report to demarcate the boundary between west bengal india and east pakistan formerly pakistan then bangladesh from 1971. It is the fourth largest among 54 rivers shared by india and bangladesh. Explore teesta water dispute profile at times of india for photos, videos and latest news of teesta water dispute. Jun 08, 2012 despite setting up a joint river commission for water management as early as 1972, tensions between the countries on how to share resources recently came to a head in a dispute over the teesta river. Teesta river originates from sikkim state of india and flows through northern west bengal and finally to bangladesh meeting jamunaread brahmaputra. Teesta water issue to be expedited, hopes quader the. India and bangladesh in 1983 signed an agreement in which share of teesta was. India bangladesh relations iasmania civil services. Orf pursues these goals by providing informed and productive inputs, indepth research and stimulating discussions. Water diplomacy teesta river agreement between india. Article 262 of the indian constitution provides a role for the.
Awami league general secretary obaidul quader has expressed hope that the process of solving the unresolved bilateral issues including teesta water sharing with india will be expedited through. Kalyan rudra warns that ecological disturbances in the teesta basin are unwarranted. The teesta flows through the length of sikkim and is considered to be the lifeline of the state. The paper focuses on the geopolitics of water conflicts of the teesta basin. Teesta water dispute has been going on for many decades. Teesta water sharing agreement latest breaking news, pictures, videos, and special reports from the economic times. Why india and bangladesh need a resolution on teesta water. In her paper, geopolitics of water conflicts in the teesta river basin, gauri noolkaroak, a transboundary water conflicts researcher who travelled along the river, highlights why the teesta is a contested river. View homework help teesta from archnology 121 at rajasthan technical university.
The dispute is regarding water sharing of river teesta. Vimal is teaching the teesta water sharing issue an important topic for all the. The teesta watersharing arrangement is likely to be one of the top concerns during sheikh hasinas upcoming trip to india. It has been a tough challenge, given that the search for solutions involves not only economics and politics, but mythology plays its part, too. The teesta valley in sikkim is rich in biodiversity, and the river provides livelihoods along its entire length of 393 km 245. Teesta river or tista river is a 315 km 196 mi long river that rises in the eastern himalayas, flows through the indian states of sikkim and west bengal through bangladesh and enters the bay of bengal. The river basin is populated with over 30 million people who depend on the river water for drinking and domestic use, irrigation, industry and religious activities.
Despite setting up a joint river commission for water management as early as 1972, tensions between the countries on how to share resources recently came to a head in a dispute over the teesta river. However, the deal has fallen through when chief minister of west bengal mamata banerjee refused to comply with this new agreement, fearing the loss of higher volume of water especially during drier months would hamper the growth and prosperity of her ruling state. Hydropower sustainability assessment protocol hsap assessment stage. At stake are the lives of countless people from west bengal and bangladesh who depend upon the river for survival.
The teesta river originates from the pahunri or teesta kangse glacier above 7,068 m 23,189 ft, and flows southward through gorges and rapids in the sikkim himalaya. The teesta river water issue between india and bangladesh by vimal singh rathore hindi lets crack upsc cse. A geopolitical issue of india and bangladesh find, read and. Teesta water rights and international law the daily star. It originates in sikkim and through the northern west bengal, it enters into bangladesh to meet brahmaputra.
Before the gajoldoba barrage during the late 1990s was constructed, it used to carry 6,0007,000 cusec of water into bangladesh. The teesta valley in sikkim is rich in biodiversity, and the river provides livelihoods along its entire. But the river is also caught in water sharing conflict between india and bangladesh. A general view of the teesta river is pictured at sevok, some 20 kms from siliguri, on september 8, 2011. Teesta river, information about teesta river, teesta river. Indian prime minister manmohans visit to bangladesh september 6 has been clouded by the. Gk, general studies, optional notes for upsc, ias, banking, civil services. Apr 11, 2017 summary india and bangladesh share 54 common streams with the teesta being a major one and the water sharing dispute between the two neighbours is not something new. Geopolitics of water conflicts in the teesta river basin.
It is this phenomenon reduction of teesta s flow during lean season that is the bone of contention between india and bangladesh. Teesta water sharing agreement blogs, comments and archive news on. Geopolitics is the study of the relationship between geographical factors and variables, and politics. Teesta water dispute news latest news on teesta water. Teesta water sharing agreement an obstacle in the india. Apr 14, 2017 recently, prime minister narendra modi conveyed his hopes for the earliest solution to teesta water dispute to his bangladesh counterpart sheikh hasina. India claims a share of 55 percent of the rivers water. Teesta resolution critical but likely to elude india and. To try and unpack the interests around water governance in the teesta basin, the analysis sought to identify and map key actors and stakeholders in the basin, their incentives. Revisiting the teesta water dispute young bhartiya. Teesta water is an absolute right of bangladesh, which is recognised by many international instruments and customary international law. However, the deal has fallen through when chief minister of west bengal mamata banerjee refused to comply with this new agreement, fearing the loss of higher volume of water especially during drier months would hamper the growth and prosperity of. Successive governments were unable to strike a final deal on the watersharing agreement.
Geography of teesta river teesta originates from kangse glacier, charamu lake in sikkim, most of its catchment area lies in india. Despite the derailment of the teesta negotiations in 2011, and prime minister sheikh hasinas inability to get the agreement signed by the principally willing modi government, she fought and won the 2018 bangladeshi general elections and came back to power in 2019. The river originates in the himalayas, flows through sikkim and west bengal before entering into bangladesh. In may 2014, bangladesh pm hasina blamed the chief minister of bengal saying. Recognising the lack of adequate water in the teesta, a committee of the west bengal government under indevar pandey, principal secretary of the public works department, has recently decided that the state will irrigate only 52,000 hectares with the rivers water, a reduction over 90% from the original plan. Teesta river dispute between india and bangladesh explained. What are the disputes over indiabangladesh teesta deal.
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