Jaishankar assures Bihar over Ganges water demands ahead of Bangladesh treaty renewal
Bihar's Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said the state's interests had been overlooked when the water-sharing treaty was signed three decades ago
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has assured Bihar that the state's concerns over the Farakka Barrage and the India-Bangladesh water-sharing treaty will be raised during the treaty's renewal process, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said yesterday (22 August).
Choudhary, who is also Bihar's Water Resources Minister, met Jaishankar in Delhi on Friday (20 August).
He said Bihar's interests had been overlooked when the India-Bangladesh water-sharing treaty was signed three decades ago.
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"Most of the water reaching the Farakka barrage originates from catchment areas in Bihar but the state has not received its due share for drinking water, irrigation and industrial use," he said.
Choudhary, who accompanied Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha to the meeting, said the Centre had responded "positively" to Bihar's long-standing concerns.
The meeting was convened at the chief minister's initiative and attended by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior officials from the ministries of External Affairs, Jal Shakti and Finance.
The discussions focused on Bihar's water resources, irrigation and flood management, he said.
Jha recently said Bihar wanted the Ganges water-sharing treaty with Bangladesh to be renegotiated.
