India, B'desh to exchange past 15 year's Teesta river data

Dhaka, Sept 30: Bangladesh Water Resources Ministry on Friday, Sept 30 said that India and Bangladesh will exchange data on water availability in the Teesta river. Bangaladesh will seek India to provide last 15 year's data on water availability. He also mentioned that New Delhi also asked for similar data from Bangladesh.

India and Bangladesh have not signed the Teesta accord during the Sept 6-7 visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee opposed the centre's decision to share 50 percent water with Bangladesh. She had stated that it would harm the interest of northern Bengal farmers.

The Teesta river which has its origin in Sikkim, flows through north Bengal before entering Bangladesh. India and Bangladesh have been sharing 54 rivers.

"We were supposed to exchange the hydrological data for a permanent treaty. But Dhaka was keen on signing an interim treaty while we collect and analyse the data," said Sheikh Wahiduzzaman, secretary to the water resources ministry of Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, two countries likely to be exchanged the data before the next Joint River Commission meeting on the Teesta water-sharing deal.

"We expect them to provide us the data through the technical level committee of the commission," said Wahiduzzaman

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has been preparing Teesta's hydrological data of the past 15 year's to provide India.

OneIndia News