Ganges water dispute

About 10 kilometres from the border with Bangladesh the Farakka Barrage, built in 1974, controls the flow of the Ganges, diverting some of the water into a feeder canal linking the Hooghly to keep it relatively silt-free.

[2] The Farakka Barrage is a dam on the Bhagirathi River located in the Indian state of West Bengal, roughly 10 km (6.2 mi) from the border with Bangladesh.

[4] Bangladesh protested India's unilateral action at a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and at the 31st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

[2] Bilateral relations had improved in 1977 during the governments of the then-Prime Minister Morarji Desai of India and the then-President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh;[4] in 1977 both leaders signed a 5-year treaty on water-sharing, but this expired in 1982 without being renewed.

[1][2][3] Bangladesh attempted to internationalise the affair by lobbying the U.N. General Assembly and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) without any result.

The BNP and other Bangladeshi political factions allege that India is drawing excessive water and the amount allocated to Bangladesh is unjust and insufficient.

[7] In Bangladesh, the diversion has raised salinity levels, contaminated fisheries, hindered navigation and posed a threat to water quality and public health.

Map of the Ganges River from its origin in northern India to its entry into the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh .
A Map showing major rivers in Bangladesh, including the Padma River .
The Ganges Delta spanning India and Bangladesh .