Bangladesh-India Ganges water-sharing issue to be discussed through Joint Rivers Commission: Jaiswal

India has said all issues related to the sharing of Ganges water and other common rivers with Bangladesh will be discussed through the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), as Dhaka seeks a new agreement before the existing treaty expires in December.

"We have a Joint River Commission and all matters related to rivers-water sharing, including the Ganges, will be discussed as part of the commission. At the same time, technical-level meetings on the Ganges treaty have continued to happen," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing in New Delhi today (29 September).

His remarks came in response to comments by Bangladesh Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee that Dhaka wants a new treaty on Ganges water sharing rather than simply renewing the 1996 agreement, which expires on 12 December this year.

Speaking at the two-day "Kollolini: A River Dialogue 2026" in Dhaka on 24 September, Anee said the JRC was working on a fresh agreement with guarantee clauses to ensure Bangladesh receives its due share of Ganges water during the dry season.

"As a lower riparian country, Bangladesh needs guaranteed water flows during the dry season," he said.

Anee also said Bangladesh would take a strong position to prevent excessive water flows during the monsoon, which he said cause flooding and economic and agricultural losses.

The 1996 Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty was signed by Bangladesh and India for 30 years and governs the sharing of dry-season flows at Farakka. The treaty is due to expire in December 2026.

Bangladesh has already formed a team to prepare a new agreement and informed Indian authorities, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said in Parliament in August.

Asked about media reports in Bangladesh that India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had visited Dhaka recently. Jaiswal said, "I don't have any information on this."