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Once again tensions seem to be increasing between the Center and the state regarding the politics of Bihar and the management of water resources. Senior Janata Dal United (JDU) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Jha has made a very sharp and aggressive attack on the central government regarding the decades-old Farakka Barrage Treaty. Some time ago, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected Ganga basin and erosion areas of the state, after which the party leadership has become completely aggressive on this issue. Sanjay Jha bluntly said that due to the wrong provisions of the Farakka Treaty and mismanagement, today Bihar has to face the terrible problem of severe floods, severe river erosion and silt accumulation every year, due to which the economy and fertile land of the state is being destroyed. After this tough stance of JDU, political activity regarding inter-state water sharing and barrage policies has once again intensified at the national level.
What is the history of Farakka Treaty and why did it become a problem for Bihar?
Farakka Barrage was constructed on the River Ganga in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, with the main purpose of maintaining navigation and water flow into the Port of Calcutta (presently Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port). For this, Farakka Water Treaty was signed between India and Bangladesh in the year 1996. However, since the beginning of this treaty and the operation of the barrage, leaders and water experts of Bihar have been warning that due to this the natural flow of the Ganga river is being disrupted. Due to accumulation of huge amount of silt in the river, the foothills have become shallow, due to which even a little rain or release of water during the monsoon season causes the water of Ganga to break its banks and cause havoc in residential areas and fertile fields. JDU leaders say that instead of becoming a boon for Bihar, Farakka Barrage has taken the form of a permanent curse, due to which crores of farmers and the general public are having to suffer the consequences.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s aerial survey and assessment of ground reality
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has always been serious about silt management and flood control of river Ganga. He clearly believes that unless the Central Government formulates a national policy for the management of silt in the plains of river Ganga and removes the technical shortcomings of Farakka Barrage, Bihar cannot be completely protected from floods and erosion. Under this vision, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar himself recently conducted an aerial survey of the coastal areas of river Ganga and sensitive areas affected by erosion. During this, he had instructed the officials that in the areas where rivers are rapidly cutting the land, protective work should be done on war footing. This horrific picture that emerged during the aerial survey shocked the state government and the JDU leadership, after which Sanjay Jha raised this issue with full force at the national level and demanded the Central Government to reconsider this treaty.
Sanjay Jha’s big attack on the Centre: ‘Bihar’s neglect and economic loss can no longer be tolerated’
Attacking the Central Government through press conferences and political forums, Sanjay Jha said that Bihar has always contributed to the development of the country, but historically the state has always suffered economic losses due to wrong water management policies. He said that the huge damage caused to the Ganga ecosystem due to Farakka Barrage should be compensated. The JDU leader bluntly said that problems are not solved by merely building a barrage, but if it is destroying the people of another state, then the government should seriously consider it. After this statement, a discussion has started in the political circles whether there may be more political tussle within the NDA alliance in the coming days regarding water and policy matters.
Future challenges and big questions arising on national water policy
This vocal opposition of JDU regarding the Farakka Pact is an indication that the regional parties are no longer in a mood to make any kind of compromise regarding the resources and geographical security of their state. For a state like Bihar, where thousands of families become homeless every year due to floods and erosion, it has become a question of life and death. Experts also believe that the Central Government and the State Governments should together make a scientific and long-term National Water Policy in which silt management is given top priority. In the coming time, when this matter will resonate from Parliament to political forums, there will be huge pressure on the Central Government to review the effects of this old treaty. The people and farmers of Bihar are now hopeful that their pain will be heard at the national level and a permanent solution will be found.