Bengal govt opposed to any pact between India, Bangladesh on Teesta water sharing: Mamata

KOLKATA — West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asserted that her government is opposed to any agreement between India and Bangladesh over sharing of the Teesta river water.

Maintaining that she loves the people of Bangladesh, Banerjee said sharing of Teesta water will mean “depriving north Bengal of even drinking water”, let alone any provision for irrigation purposes.

Speaking in the assembly on a resolution regarding erosion control and flood mitigation in West Bengal, Banerjee said the Teesta river has very little water during the winter and summer seasons.

Banerjee also alleged that the state government was not invited to discussions between India and Bangladesh over renewal of the Farakka Treaty, stating that her state is a stakeholder in the issue, as river Ganga flows into the neighbouring nation from West Bengal.

Last month, Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing “strong reservation” over the Centre “excluding” the West Bengal government from discussions with Bangladesh regarding Teesta water sharing and the Farakka Treaty.

Banerjee, in the communication, had also blamed the construction of a “series of hydropower projects in Sikkim, deforestation in upper catchment and impact of climate change” as reasons behind the Teesta river’s health suffering.

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