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India will take into account the concerns and water interests of Bihar before deciding on the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with Bangladesh, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.
According to a report published by The Hindu on Wednesday, Jaishankar conveyed the assurance in a letter to former Bihar Water Resources Minister and current Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kumar Jha on August 28.
The 30-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed between Bangladesh and India in 1996, is set to expire in December 2026. The agreement governs the sharing of Ganges water during the dry season, and discussions on its renewal are under way between the two countries.
However, Bihar has opposed renewing the treaty in its present form, arguing that the agreement has adversely affected the state and its farmers by limiting water availability for drinking, irrigation and industrial use. Sanjay Jha has been among the leading voices calling for Bihar’s interests to be fully protected before any new agreement is reached.
In his letter, Jaishankar said the government fully understood the concerns raised over the Ganges Water Treaty and had already held extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders under the leadership of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
“We fully understand your concerns relating to the Ganga Water Treaty,” Jaishankar wrote, adding that meetings had been organised to comprehensively examine both the implementation and the future of the agreement.
He said consultations involving authorised representatives of the Bihar government were held on August 22 and October 30, 2023, as well as on March 15 and May 31, 2024. The issues and concerns raised during those meetings would be taken into consideration before the government makes an appropriate decision on the treaty’s future.
Sanjay Jha, who served as Bihar’s Water Resources Minister from 2021 to 2024, has consistently argued against renewing the treaty without safeguarding the state’s long-term water security.
Responding to Jaishankar’s letter, Jha said Bihar was not seeking any special favour but was asking the federal government to rely on scientific assessments while making its decision.
“Bihar is not seeking a favour. We are asking only for what our own scientific assessment establishes, so that 13 crore people are not left short of drinking water, irrigation and industrial supply for another 30 years,” he said.
