WHY TEESTA MATTERS
The Teesta River, Bangladesh's fourth largest, is the lifeblood of the northern region, its floodplain spanning 2,750 square kilometres and nurturing vibrant ecosystems, diverse flora and fauna, and the livelihoods of millions. This vital artery irrigates 14 percent of the nation's cropped land, fueling the cultivation of Boro rice—Bangladesh's largest crop—and sustaining the granary of the north through the colossal Teesta Barrage Project, which waters 540,000 hectares of land across seven districts.
Yet, this mighty river's flow is under siege, choked by upstream dams and barrages in India, slashing its once-robust 6,710 cusecs at Dalia to a meagre 2,000 cusecs, with lean season flows plummeting to a dire 200-300 cusecs. This scarcity has triggered a devastating ripple effect: groundwater levels have dropped 10 meters in a decade, Boro rice yields have slumped by 1.5 million tons annually (9% of national production), and projections warn of an 8% decline by 2030, escalating to 14% by 2050. The Teesta's dwindling waters threaten not only crops but the very fabric of Bangladeshi society, causing migration, fuelling poverty and conflict, casting a dark shadow over the nation's future.
HISTORY OF THE TEESTA DISPUTE
The Teesta River dispute, a cauldron of broken promises, has roared back into the spotlight, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) unleashing a defiant 48-hour sit-in along a 130-kilometre stretch of the river's parched banks, portraying a plea for justice from a nation choked by thirst. Thousands of hardened farmers, fishermen, impassioned students, and families ravaged by erosion together chanted "Jago Bahe, Teesta Bachai" (Awake, O River, Save Teesta), demanding Bangladesh's fair share of water and the revival of the Teesta Master Plan to conquer floods, halt land-devouring erosion, and restore irrigation to a starving north.
For over four decades, this saga of betrayal has continued, sparked by a frail 1983 deal giving Bangladesh a mere 36% of dry-season flow with India taking 39%, the rest left for ecological flow—a temporary fix that crumbled into a permanent wound. In 2011, a glimmer of hope: a 37.5% allocation for Bangladesh was nearly sealed, only to be shattered by West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee, guarding her state's fields with fierce resolve. Modi's 2015 vow to make rivers a bridge, not a barrier, has faded into hollow echoes, leaving the dispute to rot. Now, as China's shadow creeps in with a 2016 POWERCHINA pact hinting at rival dam plans, the Teesta's dwindling flow fuels a geopolitical fire, threatening Bangladesh's granary and igniting cross-border rage.
THE TEESTA MASTER PLAN AND ITS FUTURE
The Teesta Master Plan was launched in 2020 to tackle floods, erosion, and irrigation through sustainable infrastructure, saw its 2024 deadline extended to December 2026, with a preliminary report due by year's end. Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan insists on integrating expert input, with the Ministry of Water Resources and PWDB holding consultations alongside POWERCHINA, rejecting an unsustainable $1 billion Chinese dredging proposal.
China's 2016 POWERCHINA deal stirred geopolitical fears, paused by India's concerns over the Siliguri Corridor, only for Bangladesh's interim government to revive it in 2024 after Hasina's India tilt. Experts voice grave concerns over the Teesta Master Plan's reliance on securing a consistent water supply, crippled by India's Gajaldoba Barrage, which drastically reduces downstream flow to Bangladesh. They warn that without sufficient water, plans to narrow the river to 800 meters are impractical, emphasizing the need for large-scale reservoirs to store monsoon flows and a political solution to India's upstream diversions.
They advocate for a comprehensive agreement covering all 54 shared rivers to ensure equitable water allocation, thus proposing a multilateral approach involving China, India, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank to secure a stable water supply and mitigate geopolitical risks, as a dry Teesta renders the plan futile.
CONCLUSION
The Teesta Project and negotiations are part of securing our national interests, navigating complex geopolitical scenarios, and simultaneously balancing our ecological and geographical interests, which makes it an important part of our national strategy. Its execution will portray how Bangladesh will exert herself in the international arena to secure her rights. The project's execution and its development will be a crucial step in alleviating the woes of the agro-dependent Northern populace and will have a positive impact on our agricultural sector.
WRITTEN BY SIFAT AHMED 12617079 AND DESIGNED BY SAKIB REDWANUL HAQUE 127130101
