Buxar: JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha on Saturday said the Farakka Water Treaty was not in the interest of Bihar or the country and should not be renewed in its present form. He said any future agreement must safeguard Bihar’s water requirements at least until 2050.Jha was speaking at the launch of the JD(U)’s ‘Nitish Samvad on Farakka Water Treaty’ campaign in Buxar. The awareness drive will cover 12 districts along the Ganga—Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Patna, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Khagaria, Bhagalpur and Katihar. The campaign will conclude in Katihar, tracing the Ganga’s course through Bihar.Addressing a gathering of party workers and office-bearers, Jha said the 1996 India-Bangladesh treaty had adversely affected Bihar’s water management. He said during the dry season, between Jan 1 and May 31, the Ganga’s flow near Buxar could fall to around 400 cusec, while 1,500 cusec was required to be released downstream from Farakka to Bangladesh.Jha said the situation raised concerns over the availability of water for irrigation, drinking water, industry and livelihoods in Bihar. He alleged that the interests of the state had not been adequately considered when the treaty was negotiated.JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha said party president and former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had consistently highlighted the losses Bihar had suffered because of the Farakka Barrage and the treaty.Kushwaha said heavy silt accumulation caused by the barrage had contributed to a rise in the Ganga’s riverbed, aggravating recurring floods in north Bihar. At the same time, he said, dry-season water diversion had contributed to drought-like conditions in several districts.He claimed that Bihar bears 73% of the burden of the international treaty describing it as an injustice to the state. Kushwaha also thanked Jha for raising the issue in Parliament and through public forums, saying it had now become part of the national debate.The campaign was launched with the screening of a documentary on the Farakka issue and distribution of pamphlets explaining the treaty and its alleged impact on Bihar. JD(U) MLAs Rahul Kumar Singh, Santosh Nirala and Shubhanand Mukesh said the campaign was aimed at highlighting Bihar’s interests and creating public awareness rather than serving any political purpose.
