JD(U) Leader Sanjay Jha Opposes Ganga Water Treaty Renewal, Cites Bihar's Interests
Janata Dal (United) national working president Sanjay Jha has spoken against the renewal of the 1996 India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty, asserting that the agreement has adversely affected the interests of Bihar. Mr. Jha served as Bihar's Minister for Water Resources from 2021 to 2024.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Jha said, “If you look at the data in the last 30 years of the treaty being in place, you can clearly see that the interests of Bihar have been negatively impacted.” He emphasised that while diplomatic issues between India and Bangladesh need to be addressed, the concerns of Bihar must not be overlooked. “If you have diplomatic issues to sort out between the two countries, my only point is that Bihar’s interests, too, must be kept in mind,” he added.
Mr. Jha acknowledged that the treaty may have served certain diplomatic purposes internationally but argued that it did not benefit his state. The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet responded to queries regarding his remarks.
The Ganga Water Treaty was signed on December 12, 1996, when the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, came to power in Bangladesh for the first time since the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. Ms. Hasina has been in India since August 5, 2024, after a popular uprising toppled her government.
The treaty is set to expire on December 31, 2026. Earlier this month, Dhaka indicated that the two sides had been in talks for several weeks regarding a potential visit to India by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. However, the atmosphere was described as “vitiated” following a virtual press conference held by Ms. Hasina on August 5 at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi. A possible bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart was expected to include discussions on the treaty's renewal.
According to earlier reports, the interim government of Bangladesh led by Prof. Mohammad Yunus, which was in power between August 2024 and February 2026, did not hold discussions on this issue during its tenure. After Mr. Rahman was elected with a landslide majority, Bangladesh sent a team of officials to India in May to participate in the Joint Rivers Commission meeting in Kolkata. The delegation also visited Farakka and conducted a technical evaluation of the site.
The treaty governs the sharing of Ganga waters at Farakka, a point of long-standing significance for both countries. While the agreement has been seen as a landmark in bilateral relations, concerns over its impact on downstream states like Bihar have occasionally been raised. Mr. Jha's remarks come amid heightened political tensions between India and Bangladesh, with no final round of talks on the treaty's future yet held.
