Ganges water will flow down the Farakka Barrage to Bangladesh from today as per the 30-year water sharing treaty with India.

The Ganges water sharing treaty was signed by the prime ministers of Bangladesh and India in New Delhi on December 12.

Engineers of the two countries. under the auspices of the Joint Committee, will supervise the release and record the flow of the Ganges waters at four points from today. The points are the lower part of the Farakka Barrage, the Navigation Lock, the Feeder Canal on the Indian side and the Hardinge Bridge on the Bangladesh side.

The Joint Committee has been constituted as per provision of the accord and it will "be responsible for implementing the arrangements contained in the treaty."

The Joint Committee in its first meeting in Dhaka on December 24 completed all necessary modalities and charted the terms of reference for the monitoring the release and flow of the Ganges water.

A team of four Bangladeshi

engineers led by Azizul Huq reached' Farakka yesterday to observe and record the discharge of the Ganges water at the lower point of Farakka Barrage. the Navigation Lock and the Feeder canal. Indian engineers are also learnt to be in place for the joint monitoring.

An official of the Water Resources Ministry said yesterday that the Bangladesh engineers would record the discharge at those points and send the data weekly through the Deputy High Commissioner's Office in Cal-

The Bangladesh monitors will be provided with transport and accommodation facilities

. by the Indian government while all other costs will be borne by the Bangladesh government.

The Indian monitors who are due to be posted at Hardinge Bridge point are yet to come but sources said they are expected shortly.

Meanwhile, the level of water recorded at Hardinge Bridge on December 29 was learnt to be 76.277 cusec. Water experLs said the present water level "is satisfactory."

Bangladesh is due to receive a share of 67.516 cusec of waler at Farakka point in the first ten-day cycle of the dry season beginning today. The five months dry season will continue till May 30. It is divided into fifteen ten-day cycles. However, the crucial lean season will begin in March and continue till the end of April.

According to the provisions of the treaty. Bangladesh will get a maximum of 67.516 cusec In the first cycle from January I to 10 and a minimum of 27.633 cusec from April 11 to 20. However, during the most crucial lean period of April 21 to 30. it is due to receive 35,000 cusec.