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Dhaka studying status of Ganges Treaty

Stipulated share of water received in last 2 months

M ANWARUL HAQ
Bangladesh received its stipulated share of the Ganges water even during the critical lean season in March and April this year, as available data show.
However, Dhaka is likely to ask for a review of the Indo-Bangladesh Ganges Water Treaty. During a visit by Indian envoy Brajesh Mishra to Dhaka early this year and at the SAARC summit in Kathmandu, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia said her
country would ask Delhi to sit for a review of the treaty.
There is a provision for review in the 30-year Ganges water treaty signed by the government of Sheikh Hasina in Delhi on December 12, 1996.
Any party to the treaty could make a request at the end of the five-year period for review, according to the provision. The first five-year
period ended on December 12 last year.
Bangladesh faced an acute shortage of water in 1997 and some shortage last year as well, sources said.
Asked about the review, a high official of the foreign ministry yesterday said, "We are reviewing the status of the agreement and the situation on the ground. We will make a proposal for review after the study is completed."
This year, two joint committee meetings were held to record and reconcile the monitored data on water sharing and its measurement. At both meetings -- the first held in Dhaka and the other in Kolkata -- the committee expressed satisfaction with the measurement and flow of the Ganges water.
The committee was set up invoking a clause of the Ganges water sharing accord.
According to data released by the Joint Rivers Commission, Bangladesh, Dhaka received 72,146 cusec of water against the stipulated amount of 67,516 cusec in the first cycle of January. Of relevance, every month is divided into ten-day cycles.
In the second cycle -- January 11 to 20 -- Bangladesh received 61,281
cusec of water against its stipulated 57,673 cusec.
In the third cycle -- January 21 to 31 -- Bangladesh received 55,047 cusec of water against designated 50,154 cusec.
From February 1 to 10, it received 57,733 cusec against designated 46,323 cusec. From February 11 to 20, Dhaka received 52,240 cusec against designated 42,859, while in the last cycle of February (from 21 to 28), Dhaka received 53,301 cusec against 39,106 cusec marked in the treaty.
In the dry season from March 1 to 10, Dhaka received 51,177 cusec of water against the stipulated 35,000 cusec. From March 11 to 20, it received 40,424 cusec against designated 35,000 cusec, while in the last cycle -- from March 21 to 31 -- 35,628 cusec was received against designated 29,688 cusec.
In the first cycle -- from April 1 to 10 -- Dhaka received 39,031 cusec of water against 35,000 cusec stipulated. In the second cycle -from April 11 to 20 -- it received 39,846 cusec against 27,633 cusec.
Experts, basing on the recent trend, predicted that the flow of Ganges water during the last cycle of April would be more than the level marked in the treaty.