Teesta water diversion plan: India yet to respond to Bangladesh's diplomatic communication

India has said it has no immediate response to Bangladesh's diplomatic communication seeking information over media reports on West Bengal digging two more canals to use Teesta water.

"I don't have any immediate response. I don't have the details whether we have responded yet or not," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters at a weekly briefing in New Delhi Thursday (6 April).

"I've seen the comment by the (Bangladesh) foreign secretary. This is something we have not made any statement on yet."

Bangladesh Foreign Ministry spokesperson Seheli Sabrin also said India has not yet responded to their diplomatic note (note verbale) seeking to know about the digging of two new canals in West Bengal to withdraw Teesta water.

Earlier, The Telegraph of Kolkata ran a report saying the Bengal irrigation department took possession of around 1,000 acres to dig two more canals under the Teesta Barrage Project to channelise water for agricultural purposes.

The move will help bring more farms under irrigation in Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts but may upset Bangladesh where the Teesta flows into from north Bengal, it added.

Teesta water is crucial for irrigation in the northern part of Bangladesh, especially during the lean period between December and April. The country has been waiting for the Teesta water-sharing deal with India for more than a decade to solve the water scarcity.