Farmers this year received inadequate water for irrigation under Teesta Barrage project as India released less water, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said yesterday.
Anisul admitted that he did not discuss the issue with his Indian counterpart since he assumed the post of the minister in January.
He, however, said Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque went to India a few days back and he raised the issue at official level.
“There are some realities. When an election takes place in a country there is no point of raising such a sensitive issue as it will not yield any result,” he said.
“That’s why we will discuss the issue after the election is over and the new government takes over.”
National parliament election will be held in India in April and May this year.
Anisul Islam Mahmud was speaking at a workshop in the city yesterday.
The two-day regional workshop on sharing lessons and experiences on the current water management issues in South Asia was organised by Bangladesh Water Partnership and Institute of Water Modelling.
The water flow of Teesta dropped significantly to one-third of its regular flow during January and February – the vital irrigation period for Boro which is the main crop of Bangladesh.
Due to water shortfall in Teesta over one lakh hectare of land could not be irrigated properly and it might result in less crop for farmers.
The minister said there was no interim arrangement with India over the issue.
When asked if India has the authority to withdraw water unilaterally, he said: “They have to give us the rightful share. I hope that after the election, we can discuss it.”
About an international arbitration he said: “We will think about it later. We will discuss the issue with India bilaterally and I believe that it can be resolved through negotiation.” He stressed the need for proper water management and sharing of river data regionally. Bangladesh and India share 54 cross-boundary rivers but Dhaka hardly has any data from the other country on these rivers.
“Unless I have the raw data, I don’t think it will be an effective way of doing it.”
Teesta is the fourth major trans-boundary river in Bangladesh and the Teesta Barrage is the largest irrigation, flood control and drainage project in Bangladesh.
The command area of the Bangladesh Teesta barrage is 154,250 hectare, of which 111,406 hectare is a net irrigable area. The project area spreads over seven districts in greater Rangpur, Dinajpur and Bogra.
