1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty

The 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty is a bilateral agreement between India and Bangladesh for distributing the Ganga's dry-season flow at Farakka. Its central purpose is to provide a predictable and equitable framework for sharing water when river discharge is lowest.

Scope and purpose

Signed on 12 December 1996, the treaty governs sharing at Farakka from 1 January to 31 May each year. It seeks to meet the dry-season water requirements of both countries through an agreed allocation formula based on measured availability.

• The treaty applies to the Ganga's lean-season flow at Farakka, not to the entire river basin or all months of the year.
• It is primarily a water-allocation agreement, rather than a flood-control or disaster-management treaty.
• The agreement remains in force for 30 years and may be renewed by mutual consent.

Sharing arrangement

The treaty's schedule allocates ten-day-period flows according to total water available at Farakka. During the especially critical period from 1 March to 10 May, each country is to receive a guaranteed 35,000 cusecs in alternate three ten-day periods.

• If availability falls below 50,000 cusecs in any ten-day period, the two governments must enter immediate consultations for an equitable adjustment.
• The parties are guided by the principles of equity, fairness and no harm to either side.

Implementation and wider significance

A Joint Committee with representatives from both countries monitors daily flows and implementation; it submits annual reports to the bilateral Joint Rivers Commission. The treaty institutionalises cooperation over a shared river and reduces uncertainty during seasonal scarcity.

• It also recognises the need for cooperation toward a long-term solution for augmenting dry-season Ganga flows.