India and Bangladesh Collaborate on Water Measurement as Ganges Treaty Nears Expiration

Joint Water Measurement Initiative

Dhaka: On Thursday, India and Bangladesh commenced a collaborative effort to measure water levels in the Padma and Ganga rivers, marking the final year of the 30-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.

The water measurement activities initiated at a location 3,500 feet upstream of the Hardinge Bridge on the Padma River in Bangladesh, as well as at the Farakka point on the Ganga River in India, according to reports from hydrology officials.

A two-member delegation from India, led by Saurabh Kumar, deputy director of the Central Water Commission (CWC), along with assistant director Sunny Arora, has arrived in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, a four-member team from Bangladesh, headed by Arifin Zubaed, executive engineer of the North-Eastern Measurement Hydrology Division of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, has traveled to India for this joint measurement.

Shibber Hossain, executive engineer of the hydrology division in Pabna, located about 150 kilometers northwest of Dhaka, stated, "In light of the current circumstances, we are prioritizing the safety of the team. The Ministry of Water Resources has previously communicated with the home ministry, and additional security measures have been implemented for the Indian team."

The two nations will monitor water levels at various specified points in the Ganga and Padma rivers from January 1 to May 31, with data being collected every ten days, as outlined in the treaty.

The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed in 1996, is set to conclude in December 2026, and discussions regarding its renewal have already begun between the two countries.