With the Ganga Water Treaty due to expire in 2026, what should India's approach be to sharing trans-boundary rivers with Bangladesh?

The Ganga Water Treaty (1996) shares lean-season (1 January–31 May) flows at Farakka in 10-day blocks. It expires in 2026 [1]. Renewal now has to be negotiated with a new BNP government in Dhaka. India should use the renewal to move from bargaining over one river at a time to basin-wide cooperation.

Why renewal is harder this time

• Coverage gap: The two countries share 54 rivers, but only three have agreements. This lets Dhaka link the Ganga talks to the Teesta and other rivers [1].
• Federal hurdle: The stalled Teesta deal shows that a riparian state's objections can block an agreement in practice. This holds even though Article 253 empowers Parliament to legislate to implement treaties.
• Internationalisation: In 2025 Bangladesh became the first South Asian party to the UN Water Convention. India prefers to handle rivers bilaterally [3].
• Trust deficit: The parliamentary committee flagged instability in Bangladesh and China's growing footprint there [1].

India's approach

• Start early, use existing mechanisms: The Standing Committee on External Affairs urged early renewal talks [1]. The Joint Rivers Commission (1972) is a ready platform for them [2].
• Bring West Bengal in from day one: Include the state in the negotiating team so its irrigation and Kolkata-port needs are covered. This avoids another Teesta-style deadlock.
• Science-based sharing: Use joint flow measurement and studies of sedimentation and climate variability. Add a review clause so that shares can be adjusted in distress years.
• Build on small wins: The Kushiyara interim-sharing MoU and the wider real-time flood-data exchange have built trust [2]. Extend this approach to the seven priority rivers the JRC has identified [2].
• Basin vision: Link water sharing with hydropower, inland waterways and flood control through BBIN/BIMSTEC. Then Bangladesh gains more from cooperating with India than from taking disputes to international forums.
• Keep water separate from politics: Do not let issues such as extradition hold up water talks. This shows India's commitment is to Bangladesh's people, not to any one party.

Renewing the Ganga Treaty tests whether shared geography can outweigh changing politics. India's approach should be timely, consultative, data-driven and generous: firm on security but accommodating on water. That would turn shared rivers into links between the two countries and strengthen Neighbourhood First, in line with SDG 6.5 on transboundary water cooperation.