
REVISITING INDIA – BANGLADESH GANGA WATER TREATY (1996)
The Ganga water dispute between India and Bangladesh is rooted in the river’s transboundary character and the competing dry-season water needs of both countries. The dispute intensified after India commissioned the Farakka Barrage in May 1975 to divert Ganga water into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly system, primarily to improve the navigability and functioning of Kolkata Port (Ministry of Jal Shakti, 2023). The diversion of lean-season flows became a major concern in Bangladesh, where downstream water availability has implications for irrigation, navigation, ecosystems, and water-dependent livelihoods.






