Bangladesh on Wednesday, May 13, approved a mega dam construction project on the Padma River. The Dhaka government said that the structure is expected to mitigate the “negative impact” of the Farakka Barrage upstream in India. The development emerges months ahead of the 1996 Indo-Bangladesh Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, which is set for expiry in December 2026.
What is the cost of the Padma Barrage project?
The Padma River is known as the Ganges in India. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, chaired by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, approved the first phase of the project to build a barrage on the Padma Barrage at an estimated cost of 34,497.25 crore taka. According to reports, the project is expected to be completed by 2033 and is completely funded by Dhaka. It would span the districts of Rajshahi, Dhaka, and Barisal divisions.
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What is the objective of the project?
One of the main objectives of the Padma Barrage project is to facilitate water storage within Bangladesh to “negate the negative impact of the Farakka Barrage” on the Ganges, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee told the media after the ECNEC meeting.
“No discussion required with India,” says Bangladesh Water Resources Minister
The minister further clarified that problems associated with the 54 common rivers shared by New Delhi and Dhaka are not linked to this project and that the barrage is being built in Bangladesh’s national interest and requires no consultation with India.
“Padma Barrage is a matter of Bangladesh’s own interest, and there is no need for any discussion with India over the issue,” Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said. He, however, added that discussions with India regarding the Ganges waters are underway.
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Why is this bad news for India?
In 1975, India commissioned the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal to divert water from the Ganges into the Hooghly River. The 2,240-m-long bridge was inaugurated to flush out silt and maintain the navigability of the Kolkata port.
The Farakka issue has remained a contentious topic in Bangladesh, with experts and successive governments alleging that declining downstream dry-season water flows caused salinity intrusion, river deterioration, and negative impacts on the country’s agriculture and ecology. On the other hand, India has maintained that the Farakka Barrage was constructed primarily to conserve the Kolkata port and that water-sharing issues have been dealt with through bilateral agreements and discussions, including the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty between both countries.
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