TEESTA RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT — INDIA SETS UP TECHNICAL PANEL AMID CHINA–BANGLADESH COOPERATION

PRERNA FOR IAS

         Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

         Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

TEESTA RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT — INDIA SETS UP TECHNICAL PANEL AMID CHINA–BANGLADESH COOPERATION

Context

India has constituted a 12-member high-level technical committee headed by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) to prepare a Teesta River Basin Comprehensive Management Plan. Its first meeting was held on 6 August 2026. The committee includes representatives from West Bengal, Sikkim, CWC, NDSA, NHPC, Brahmaputra Board and the Ministry of Jal Shakti. It will examine water use, future demand, climate risks, flood management and infrastructure requirements in the basin.

Teesta and its Importance

The Teesta originates in the eastern Himalayas in Sikkim, flows through West Bengal and enters Bangladesh before joining the Jamuna-Brahmaputra system. It is important for hydropower, irrigation, agriculture and flood management. The October 2023 GLOF that damaged the Teesta-III hydropower project also highlighted the Himalayan basin’s growing climate and dam-safety risks.

History of the Water-Sharing Issue

India and Bangladesh have discussed sharing the Teesta’s lean-season waters for decades. A proposed agreement was close to conclusion in 2011, but remained unsigned. India has consistently maintained that an agreement requires consultation with concerned stakeholders, particularly West Bengal. Bangladesh continues to seek an early settlement.

India’s Stand and Current Status

India supports cooperative management of shared rivers and had announced in 2024 that an Indian technical team would discuss conservation and management of the Teesta in Bangladesh. The issue has acquired a strategic dimension because Bangladesh has sought Chinese technical and economic support for its Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project. New Delhi says it will consider all related developments while pursuing a mutually agreed approach. The new committee therefore combines water security, climate resilience, federal consultation and strategic considerations.

Analytical Questions

1. Why has the Teesta water-sharing issue remained unresolved for so long?

Answer: The main difficulty is balancing the needs of Bangladesh with those of West Bengal. Lean-season flows are limited, while both sides depend on the river for agriculture and livelihoods. Since water is also a state subject in India, the Union government needs cooperation from the concerned state before finalising any durable agreement.

2. Why has China’s involvement in Bangladesh’s Teesta project created strategic concern for India?

Answer: The concern is not only about water. The Teesta basin lies close to India’s sensitive eastern region and the Siliguri Corridor. A large Chinese technical and financial presence could increase Beijing’s strategic influence in Bangladesh. India therefore has to balance security concerns with Bangladesh’s development needs and its own neighbourhood policy.

3. Should India oppose Chinese participation in the Teesta project in Bangladesh?

Answer: India should avoid treating every Chinese project as a security threat. Bangladesh has the right to choose development partners. India should instead offer credible alternatives, technical cooperation and faster project delivery. At the same time, projects near sensitive areas should be assessed carefully for their long-term security and strategic implications.

4. What lessons does the 2023 Teesta GLOF provide for hydropower development in the Himalayas?

Answer: The disaster shows that Himalayan infrastructure cannot be planned on old climate assumptions. Future projects need stronger dam-safety standards, glacial-lake monitoring, early-warning systems and cumulative river-basin studies. Hydropower remains useful, but project design must account for extreme floods, landslides and rapidly changing mountain ecology.

5. How should India balance federalism, diplomacy and water security in resolving the Teesta dispute?

Answer: India needs a cooperative approach. The Centre should involve West Bengal and Sikkim from the beginning rather than treating them as later consultees. Scientific flow data should guide negotiations with Bangladesh. A basin-wide agreement covering irrigation, ecology, floods and dry-season sharing would be more durable than a narrow water-allocation formula.