West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said in a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India should not have any talks with Bangladesh on Teesta and Ganges water sharing without the participation of the state.
In a letter sent to Modi, Mamata strongly opposed giving the water of Teesta and Ganges to Bangladesh. She even warned of India-wide agitation against the unilateral decision.
In the letter, Mamata Banerjee also said, 'It is not possible to share Teesta water with Bangladesh because people in the northern part of West Bengal need water for irrigation and consumption.'
She said, ``The flow of water in Teesta has decreased over the years. It is thought that if water is shared with Bangladesh, lakhs of people in North Bengal will be severely affected due to insufficient irrigation water.
Apart from this, Teesta water is also needed to meet the drinking water requirements of the people of North Bengal. Therefore, it is not possible to share Teesta water with Bangladesh', Mamata mentioned in the letter.
In the letter, Mamata writes, 'I am writing this letter in view of the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to Delhi. It seems that Teesta and Ganges water sharing was discussed during this important visit. Such a one-sided discussion without the advice and opinion of the state government is not acceptable or desirable.
Chief Minister Mamata also wrote, 'We have close relations with Bangladesh geographically, culturally and economically. I love and respect the people of Bangladesh and always wish them well. West Bengal has cooperated with Bangladesh on various issues in the past. Bangladesh-India Chit Mahal exchange agreement, Indo-Bangladesh railway line apart from bus services are milestones for economic development in the region.
Mamata Banerjee wrote about the water sharing agreement, 'Water is very precious and the lifeline of people. We cannot compromise on such a sensitive issue, which has serious and adverse impact on the people. The people of West Bengal will suffer the most from the impact of such an agreement. I understand the Government of India is in the process of renewing the Indo-Bangladesh Farakka Agreement which will expire in 2026. It is an agreement that outlines the principles of water sharing between Bangladesh and India.'
Later, in that letter, Mamata wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 'You know, river water has a huge impact on the livelihood of the people of West Bengal. The diversion of water at the Farakka barrage helps maintain the navigability of Kolkata's port.
"I would like to bring to your notice that the morphology of rivers in eastern India and Bangladesh has changed, depriving West Bengal and negatively affecting the availability of water in the state."
During Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent visit to India, MoUs were signed on several important issues between the two countries and some announcements were also made. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not receive a call even though issues related to West Bengal including Teesta-Ganges water sharing were discussed there. Mamata has sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in strong language to protest about this matter.
After the talks, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a technical team would soon be sent to Bangladesh for the conservation and management of Teesta water in Bangladesh, and talks would begin on renewing the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Agreement, which expires in 2026.