Teesta controversy west bengal bangladesh china

Teesta importance to india and bangladesh

TEESTA PROBLEM

Problem:

  1. After rainy season water supply reduces , in months between November and june, 3rd crop or summer crop suffers.
  2. 1984: According to 1984 Joint River Commission (JRC), Bangladesh’s share increased based on the hydrological data.
India 42.5%
Bangladesh 37.5%
Unallocated 20%
  • 1998: Bangladesh started the “Teesta Barrage” irrigation project (3 cropping seasons per year).
  • 2011: An interim deal that was supposed to last for 15 years – gave India 42.5% and Bangladesh 37.5% of Teesta water.
  • Due to opposition from west Bengal govt, it remains unresolved.

TEESTA RIVER controversy

In absence of any resolution with india, Bangladesh wants to carry out restoration work to increase water carrying capacity, storage and use.

China wants to invest in the project, which has forced india to find an early resolution & also willingness to invest by replacing china.

Teesta river Facts

 

Teesta river water sharing controversy:

Situation and the problem,

Teesta river – Teesta with its origin in eastern Himalayan glaciers, is a 414km long river flowing through the Indian states of West Bengal, and Sikkim before joining brahmaputra & finally drains to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh.

  • It is the fourth largest transboundary river shared between India and Bangladesh after the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna river systems.
  • Total catchment area: 1.75 million sq. km
  • Total length -414 KM.
  • SIKKIM – 151
  • West Bengal – 142
  • Bangladesh - 121

 

Importance of Teesta River to Bangladesh and West Bengal

For Bangladesh:

According to unconfirmed reports, its floodplain covers about 14% of the total cropped area equivalent to 1,00,000 hectares of Bangladesh and provides direct livelihood opportunities to approximately 73% of its population, which has decreased over the years because of excessive silting in river bed.

For West Bengal

Teesta is the lifeline of North Bengal and almost half a dozen districts of West Bengal are dependent on the waters of Teesta.

 

India constructed a Barrage at Gazoldoba over the Teesta river which is around 100 km upstream of Teesta Barrage (Bangladesh).

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