News Desk :
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday asserted that Teesta is the lifeline of North Bengal, which can’t be taken away.
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s talks on the river Teesta on Saturday, she came up with the remarks yesterday, The Hindustan Times reported on Sunday.
“There is very little water in the Teesta River, it is our lifeline, the lifeline of North Bengal,” she said.
Mamata said other transnational rivers could be diverted to attend to Bangladesh’s water needs.
“Your problem is water, not Teesta. I am willing to look at any alternate proposal to address your issues. There are many other rivers in the area (India-Bangladesh), we can use water from there,” she said.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said India’s support would help resolve all issues, including the Teesta, expeditiously.
Any pact on the sharing of water of the river Teesta was yet to be signed between the two nations.
On this, Modi said, “I am very happy that the Chief Minister of West Bengal is my guest today. Her feeling for Bangladesh is as warm as my own. I assure you and the people of Bangladesh of our continuing efforts on the Teesta. It’s only my government and your government that can and will find an early solution to the Teesta water sharing issue.”
The Teesta River runs through both Bengals and Bangladesh and if a Treaty is signed it would allow equal share of water.
Bangladesh has welcomed Modi’s commitment to ensuring an early solution.
Modi also acknowledged the Teesta issue to have drawn “greatest attention” with regard to bilateral relations and expressed his “firm belief” that it would find an early solution.
The Indian Premier described Teesta to be an important factor for India, for Bangladesh and for India-Bangladesh relationship” while referring to the stake of India’s West Bengal state in the matter.
During the meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Mamata pitched for a fresh feasibility study of three to four smaller rivers in northern part of the State to augment the hydrological flow into Bangladesh. She said instead of just looking at Teesta, rivers like Torsha and Mansai can be tapped for improving the flow of water to northern Bangladesh.
“The drought in Teesta is not good enough in the lean season. Sharing the Teesta waters with Bangladesh becomes difficult because that would lead to acute shortage of even drinking water in northern Bengal,” Mamata told journalists after meeting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday.
Mamata said the proposal to study the flow of water in other smaller rivers was raised by her during Modi’s official lunch for PM Hasina and again during a quiet dinner with her and President Pranab Mukherjee.
“I am a well wisher of Bangladesh and I want them to get enough water, but Teesta alone cannot solve their problem because the flow in that river has been affected because of upstream power projects in the hill state of Sikkim, from which the river originates,” Mamata told the media on Saturday.
