In the world of international relations, a recent development catches attention as India and Bangladesh finalize the text of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the interim water sharing of the Kushiyara river.
Key Highlights of the MoU
This remarkable achievement was finalized during the 38th meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), a ministerial-level grouping of the two nations. A notable aspect of this agreement is its focus on the drinking water needs of Sabroom town in Tripura, with the design and location of the water intake point on Feni River being accepted.
In addition to this, the meeting provided an opportunity for in-depth discussions about various bilateral concerns including water-sharing of common rivers, sharing of flood data, addressing river pollution, conducting joint studies on sedimentation management, and river bank protection works.
About the Joint Rivers Commission
The Joint Rivers Commission was created in 1972 to serve as a bilateral mechanism for dealing with issues related to common, border, and transboundary rivers. This organization is headed by the respective Water Resources Ministers of both countries. Its significance lies in its ability to tackle issues surrounding the 54 shared rivers between India and Bangladesh. At the most recent meeting, it was agreed that an additional eight rivers would be included in the data exchange initiative.
During this meeting, extensive discussions were held on issues relating to several rivers shared by the two nations, such as the Ganges, Teesta, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla, Dudhkumar, and Kushiyara. Topics including flood-related data and information exchange, riverbank protection works, joint basin management, and the Indian river interlinking project were tackled extensively.
Kushiyara River in Focus
The Kushiyara River, a distributary in Bangladesh and Assam, takes its origins from the India-Bangladesh border where it branches off from the Barak River, which separates into the Kushiyara and Surma rivers. The Kushiyara picks up tributaries from Manipur, Mizoram, and Assam, before reuniting with the Surma at Markuli in Ajmiriganj upazila (Bangladesh) and flowing south up to Bhairab Bazar (Bangladesh) receiving the name Kalni.
Key Facts About Feni River
Known as Feni Nodi in Bengali, the Feni River forms part of the India-Bangladesh border. It originates in South Tripura district and passes through Sabroom town on the Indian side before flowing into the Bay of Bengal via Bangladesh. It is integral to the local agricultural community who use its water for irrigation and other domestic uses. A 1.9km long bridge, known as Maitri Setu, has been constructed over Feni River to better link India and Bangladesh, demonstrating the river’s strategic importance.
Previous UPSC Civil Services Examination Question for Reference
To showcase the complexity of the subject matter, a previously asked question from the UPSC Civil Services Examination has been included below:
Q. With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: (2017)
1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.
2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.
3. River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.
The answer to this question was:
Statement 2 only, as the Teesta originates from the Tso Lhamo lake of North Sikkim Himalayas and not the Kailash ranges of Himalayas like the Brahmaputra. Additionally, it flows into the river Brahmaputra at Fulchori in Bangladesh rather than the Bay of Bengal on the India-Bangladesh border making Statement 3 incorrect. However, statement 2 is correct as Rangeet is indeed a main tributary of the Teesta, which originates from the mountains of West Sikkim district.
