The record
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- The 1996 Ganga Water Sharing Treaty between India and Bangladesh governs how dry-season water at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal is divided between the two countries, and it expires in December 2026.
- Bangladesh, especially after a recent change of government, wants a new treaty with a guaranteed minimum water share and has threatened to raise the matter internationally.
- Bihar has long opposed the treaty, arguing that silt build-up behind the barrage worsens floods and that releasing water to Bangladesh hurts its irrigation and drinking water needs, with JDU leaders urging the Centre not to renew it as is.
- Renewal now faces pressure from West Bengal, Bihar, and Bangladesh, making the December 2026 deadline a complex diplomatic and domestic political challenge.
What to watch next
- Whether Bangladesh presses for a 'guarantee clause' or takes the dispute to international forums
- How the Centre balances Bihar's opposition, led by JDU, against renewal of the treaty
- Whether West Bengal's stake in maintaining Kolkata port navigation shapes India's negotiating position
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Named India · Bangladesh · Bihar · Ganga River · Haldia · Hughli River · Kolkata Port · West Bengal · Bagirathi River · Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute · Farakka Barrage · Jagannath Das University
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