📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Pinakpani
International
Bihar Accuses Water‑Sharing Deal Over Farakka Barrage Causing Floods
✍️ Aaj Tak
🗓 26 Aug 2026, 07:49 AM
👁 3
Bihar says the 1996 India‑Bangladesh water‑sharing agreement over the Farakka Barrage is costing it floods and silt, while West Bengal worries about its port and Bangladesh seeks water guarantees during dry seasons.
The Farakka Barrage, built to divert water to the Hooghly River and protect the Kolkata port, has been governed by a 1996 water‑sharing agreement between India and Bangladesh.
Bihar officials have now claimed that the arrangement is forcing the state to shoulder the brunt of floods and siltation, arguing that the water released to Bangladesh reduces the water available for irrigation and flood control in the state.
West Bengal, which relies on the Hooghly for its port operations, has expressed concern over the river’s flow, while Bangladesh has demanded guarantees that it will receive its share of water even during dry seasons.
The dispute has prompted calls for a review of the 1996 agreement, with stakeholders from all three sides seeking a more balanced and transparent water‑allocation framework.
Bihar officials have now claimed that the arrangement is forcing the state to shoulder the brunt of floods and siltation, arguing that the water released to Bangladesh reduces the water available for irrigation and flood control in the state.
West Bengal, which relies on the Hooghly for its port operations, has expressed concern over the river’s flow, while Bangladesh has demanded guarantees that it will receive its share of water even during dry seasons.
The dispute has prompted calls for a review of the 1996 agreement, with stakeholders from all three sides seeking a more balanced and transparent water‑allocation framework.