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Dhaka, Delhi hopeful of Teesta formula

Common river water sharing meet begins

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
As a two-day Bangladesh-India Joint Committee of Experts (JCE) meeting began in Dhaka yesterday, both sides expressed hope to reach a consensus on the water sharing of the Teesta and six other common rivers.
On the first day, the experts discussed the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) report on the proposed scientific study of Teesta water flow and agreed on some
issues related to the study but they could not yet work out a water sharing formula.
Bangladesh again sought for a bilateral treaty for a five-year interim period when a joint team would carry out the study on the Teesta, one of the 54 common rivers between India and Bangladesh. But India did not agree on the proposal.
"We are discussing item by item from the recommendations of JTC. We have differences of perception
but we are discussing how to move forward," Vinod K Duggal, the chief of the Indian delegation, told reporters after the meeting.
Duggal, also water resources secretary of India, is hopeful about reaching an agreement on the last day of the talks today.
If the experts fail to reach consensus and fix the modality of Teesta water sharing in this 7th meeting of JCE, they would refer it to the Joint River Commission (JRC) which is likely to be held in December in Dhaka, meeting sources said.
The JCE headed by the water resources secretaries of the two countries has been working for last seven years to work out a permanent and acceptable formula for water sharing of seven rivers Teesta, Monu, Mahuri, Khowai, Gorai, Dharla and Dudhkumar.
But the committee could not yet fix such modality due to disagreements between the two sides on water sharing, JRC officials said.
"Representatives from both the countries are looking into their interests. But this time we may reach an agreement, as they (Indian side) also want something acceptable," said Omar Faruque Khan, water resources secretary of Bangladesh.
Sources said the experts bargained mainly with the water sharing of the Teesta. The experts from Bangladesh proposed for keeping 20 to 30 percent water reserved in the lean period to keep the river healthy and sharing the rest equally.
But India proposed for keeping 10 to 12 percent of Teesta water
reserved in the lean period and for the rest they wanted to share on the basis of the size of the river's catchment area. The cathment area of Teesta in India is larger than that in Bangladesh.
The water flow in the Teesta in the dry season (November to May) has declined to around 4000 cusec in recent years from 5,000 cusec. Bangladesh wants an immediate agreement to get its due share of the Teesta waters to prevent an ecological disaster.
India has agreed to sit for the secretary-level meet after a couple of deferment from its side. A 13-member Indian delegation is attending the meeting while the home team comprises 11 members.
The last JCE meeting was held in August last year in New Delhi. The JCE was formed at the 32nd meeting of the JRC in 1997.
Prior to the meeting, the Indian water resources secretary along with his delegation members called on Water Resources Minister Hafizuddin Ahmed at a local hotel. Among others, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Veena Sikri was present there.