India and Bangladesh share 54 transboundary rivers but reached a water-sharing treaty on just one river, Ganga. The Teesta, originating in the Himalayas, flows through West Bengal and emerges downstream as the main river of northern Bangladesh. Its floodplain covers 2037 sq km and supports over 21 million people directly and indirectly. The Gajoldoba barrage built in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal for irrigation purposes using water from the Teesta River has become a focus point of conflict between two neighboring countries. On one hand, the Gajoldoba barrage significantly energized northern Bengal's agriculture using river irrigation channels benefitting 9 Lakh hectares of land, improving groundwater levels, and bringing economic stability to the region. It helped control flood and river erosion upstream, producing 67.5 MW of hydroelectric power and developing communication between Alipurduar and the Jalpaiguri district. It also creates a marshland where migratory birds visit in the winter thus improving biodiversity and tourist inflow.
On the other hand, such a setting impacted water flow into Bangladesh. Irrigation of over 1 lakh hectares is “severely affected” by India’s withdrawal of the Teesta’s waters. It is estimated that before the construction, the daily average flow of water into Bangladesh was 6,710 cusecs. A flow of 5,000 cusecs of water is needed for irrigation purposes, but Bangladesh is reportedly receiving only 1,200-1,500 cusecs during the dry season. The dams and barrages upstream of the river led to catastrophic consequences downstream where millions of farmers and fishers depend on the river for their livelihoods.
The practice of closing barrage gates during the dry season and opening in the monsoon creates bone-dry conditions in summer and flash floods in the monsoon. The fine grains of sand in the riverbed, carried by the winds in summer, cover the nearby agricultural land, destroying crops and ruining the fertility of the land. As the Teesta River is drying up, many canals and marshes, which used to be fed by the river, have also disappeared from the region which were breeding grounds for many fish species. When water is released during peak monsoon, resisted by the silted riverbed, the ferocious river overflows its banks, eroding lands and livelihoods overnight. This desert and deluge cycle disproportionately harms marginal fishers and farmers. Therefore Teesta water-sharing becomes a key issue in maintaining peace in the sub-continent and protecting the livelihoods of millions of people.
