New Delhi :
Ritabrata Banerjee, a member of the Trinamool Congress, urged the Central Government in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday to consult the West Bengal government before taking any decision on Bangladesh leaving the Teesta River water, as it has a direct impact on the state. Raising this issue during the Zero Hour in the upper house, Banerjee said that Teesta is the second largest river in the state and passes through many districts before entering Bangladesh. He also informed that water flow has been affected due to construction of several hydroelectric projects in Sikkim, deforestation in upper catchment areas and climate change.
The Trinamool MP said, “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had raised a strong objection to the fact that without the participation of the West Bengal government, there should be no discussion about Teesta water sharing and Farakka Treaty with Bangladesh without the participation of the West Bengal government.
People of Bengal will be the most impressed: Banerjee
He said that the people of West Bengal will be the most affected due to agreements on water sharing between India and Bangladesh. He said that in the last several years, there has been a negative impact on the availability of water in West Bengal due to the change in the flow of rivers in the eastern part of India.
Banerjee said that the process of renewing the Indo-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty is going on in the central government, which is going to end in 2026.
Banerjee said that as far as the livelihood of the people is concerned, this will have a huge impact on them and the flow of water at Farakka Barrage is causing shipping problems for Kolkata port.
Erosion in West Bengal due to Farakka barrage: Banerjee
He said that Mamta Banerjee has written a letter to the Prime Minister three times saying that due to Farakka Barrage, there has been a very large erosion along with floods in West Bengal.
The Trinamool member said that the flow of water in Teesta has decreased in the last few years and it is estimated that if the water is shared with Bangladesh, millions of people in the northern part of West Bengal will be severely affected due to insufficient availability of irrigation water.
He said that river water is also needed to meet the needs of people living in the northern part of the state.
He also said that the Indo-Bhutan River Commission is also needed, as the flood from across the border has a devastating effect on the northern districts of West Bengal.
He requested the central government that Bangladesh should be consulted with the West Bengal government in connection with releasing water from Teesta.
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