BharatNotes What is the Teesta Water Dispute?
The Teesta Water Dispute is the long-running impasse between India and Bangladesh over sharing the dry-season flow of the Teesta, a transboundary river that the two neighbours both depend on for irrigation. The Teesta rises in the Sikkim Himalaya, flows through West Bengal (about 305 km in India), and travels roughly 109 km inside Bangladesh before joining the Brahmaputra river system. During the lean months (roughly December-March) the river's flow shrinks sharply, making equitable sharing both contentious and economically critical for farmers on both sides of the border.
How the dispute evolved
India and Bangladesh established the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) in 1972 to manage their shared rivers. At the JRC's 25th meeting in Dhaka in 1983, an ad hoc arrangement was reached, but it was temporary and never became a permanent treaty.
| Milestone | Year | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| Joint Rivers Commission set up | 1972 | Bilateral mechanism for shared rivers |
| Ad hoc Teesta sharing (25th JRC meeting, Dhaka) | 1983 | India ~39%, Bangladesh ~36%, ~25% left unallocated |
| Draft water-sharing treaty | 2011 | Proposed ~37.5% to Bangladesh, ~42.5% to India in the lean season; not signed |
The 2011 draft was expected to be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka, but West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee withdrew her support at the last minute, arguing the deal would harm her state's farmers. Because water is a State subject, the Centre could not proceed without the state's consent.
The federal and constitutional angle
The dispute highlights the constitutional division of water powers in India. Water is in the State List (Entry 17, List II), but this is "subject to the provisions of Entry 56 of List I," which gives Parliament power over the regulation and development of inter-State rivers. Article 262 allows Parliament to legislate for adjudicating inter-State river disputes. The Teesta case shows how a state's stance can effectively veto a Centre-led international agreement — a vivid illustration of federalism shaping foreign policy.
Current status and the strategic dimension
As of mid-2024, attention shifted to Bangladesh's proposed Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, a large-scale dredging and embankment plan estimated at around US$1 billion. Both China and India offered to execute it. Then-PM Sheikh Hasina stated in July 2024 that she preferred India for the project. After the political transition in Bangladesh in August 2024, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus signalled renewed interest in Chinese financing, reportedly requesting a loan of around Tk 67 billion for the first phase (as of reporting through 2025). This injects a clear China-versus-India strategic contest into what was originally a bilateral water-sharing question.
UPSC angle
Treat the Teesta as a case study linking three themes: (1) transboundary river diplomacy and India's neighbourhood-first policy; (2) the federal constraint on foreign policy via the State List; and (3) the China factor in India's immediate neighbourhood. Foundation concept — no direct PYQ, but it underpins recurring Mains GS2 questions on India-Bangladesh relations and water as a strategic resource. Do not confuse the Teesta sharing impasse with the Ganga Water Treaty of 1996, which was successfully signed and governs the Farakka Barrage flows.
