New Delhi: Against the backdrop of
differences between India and Bangladesh over calculating
availability of water in Teesta river, Water Resources
Ministers of the two countries will meet here next week under
the aegis of the Joint River Commission.
Water Resources Ministers Pawan Kumar Bansal will have
talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Ramesh Chandra Sen to
discuss the Teesta river water sharing.
Sources in the Water Resources Ministry said while
Bangladesh wants to have water sharing on 50-50 basis
available at Ghazal Doba -- the only release point of Teesta
river water to Bangladesh-- India is yet to take a final call
on the issue as much will depend on West Bengal government.
"Water is a state subject. We want the state government
to decide on the issue first," said an official.
The two sides will also try to thrash out differences on
the system to be adopted to decide on the actual availability
of water in the river.
"There are differences on the modalities to find out the
actual availability on a particular date. We have to have
convergence of views," the officials said.
The last time the Joint River Commission had met was in
2005.
Ahead of the JRC meeting, Water Resources Secretaries are
likely to meet to do the ground work for the ministerial-level
talks.
This will be the first visit to India by the Bangladesh
Water Resources Minister since the Sheikh Hasina government
came to power in January 2009.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, March 14, 2010, 20:03